Instructions Not Included
by LillithBB
Summary: Sequel to Single and Defective... Another familiar character comes to join the party as Sookie tries to figure Vampire Politics while dating a Vampire Sheriff
1. Chapter 1

Just a little teaser to let you all know I have not forgotten about my promise for a sequel. Just trying to figure out the plot. I had the sequence of the books messed up in my mind, so I have to do a little rework.

As always, characters, settings, and plots that are recognizable belong to Charlaine Harris!

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It was a quiet night at Merlotte's. Well, as quiet as a bar ever gets. Godric was not there as Eric had asked for his help with something. It was a weeknight, which meant no heavy drinking, but Arlene had gotten a call from her kids and gone home early. So it was just Sookie, covering those who were left.

Over the past month, things had gotten much better between her and Sam. He still wasn't happy about her current situation, but he was feeling pretty bad about everything that happened with Callisto. It helped keep him humble, and it got Sookie more hours.

Which was good considering Eric had informed her that she had already interviewed almost every one of his employees. Of course, that was right after they had agreed upon a weekly salary that did not depend on how many hours she worked, which she had considered very fair. She wasn't hurting for money, but she preferred to have something to do on the nights that Eric was working. Sookie wondered if he was just trying to keep her out of vampire business as much as possible.

That is why she was surprised when a void walked into Merlotte's. It was one of Eric's work nights, so he wasn't going to be dropping it. Godric was not one to say one thing and do another, even if it would not have been an unwelcome surprise.

She turned, prepared to see one of the other vampires in Eric's circle. Sometimes if she was not answering her phone or if it was something important, he would send a reluctant messenger.

But she did not recognize the man standing in front of her. He was definitely a vampire with his quiet mind and pale complexion; he was also very handsome in an old-fashioned kind of way. His overly long sideburns were definitely not from this century, but he managed to pull it off in an almost regal way.

"A friend of yours?" Of course Sam would notice a new vampire in his bar, then again, everyone was staring at him.

"Never seen him before." She said with a smile, not wanting to alarm him. The vampire did not seem exactly threatening as he stood in doorway trying not to stare back at the patrons who found him so interesting. Obviously, they had all seen a vampire before, but never one that Sookie hadn't greeted.

"You can sit wherever you like. I'll be over in a minute." A year ago, she would have been practically giddy about the thought of a strange vampire walking into her bar, now she couldn't help but think of the last vampire in Area 5 she met that she did not already know. With that in mind, she sent a quick text to Eric while she picked up the food in the window. Vampires had incredible hearing, and she did not want to risk him hearing her. Better safe than sorry was her new philosophy. She definitely wouldn't be going out to the parking lot with him.

She dropped Hoyt and Jason's burgers off on her way over to his table. Her brother was watching the new vampire with a bit of hostility; Hoyt was probably incapable of hostility, but he was still watching intently. Godric was the only one who ever sat down.

"What can I get for ya, Mr.?" Sookie's chipper voice did little to soothe her brother.

"Compton." He offered the completion of his title even though she had not really been asking.

Sookie knew the name. The Compton's house was right across the cemetery from her own. It had been empty for a while since Old Man Compton had died. The unknown vampire must have been a relative. She vaguely remembered Eric mentioning a law that had recently changed about property ownership.

"What can I get for you, Mr. Compton?"

"Do you all have any synthetic blood?"

"Any type preferences? We have Trueblood in AB- and O+." She informed him as casually as she might read off the beers on tap. It spoke volumes that Sam had started to stock Godric's favorites.

"O+ please."

Sookie checked a few patrons before she grabbed a fresh bottle, microwaving it and shaking it to ensure it was gently warmed all the way through. Eric stayed away from the stuff whenever possible, but it was the only thing she had ever seen Godric drink.

"You all get a lot of vampires in here?" He asked as she set the bottle in front of him.

"Hard to believe in such a small town, but yeah, we do."

"I must admit. It is very nice. My kind tends to frighten waitresses like you… Miss?" He was definitely fishing for a name, but he had been nothing but cordial thus far, not even an attempted glamour.

"Stackhouse, but please call me Sookie."

"Bill." He returned the sentiment. "Sookie Stackhouse, I believe we are neighbors. I have set up residence at the Compton Estate."

"Oh good, it is such a pretty old house. I am glad someone will be there to take care of it."

"Speaking of which, I noticed you are doing some improvements of your own."

"What?" She asked in confusion.

"The pavers… I saw you were having your road done when I drove over tonight."

She just stared at him. "Are you sure it was my house?"

He smiled, it was a pleasant one. "Not too many houses out by us. I am fairly certain it was your house."

There was an awkward moment where she could feel the crazy Sookie smile spreading across her face, and he was just staring at her eyebrow coming together in what might have been worry.

"Excuse me for a second…" She ignored the customers who were trying to get her attention as she made a bee-line for the back. This time, she was going to talk to her vampire boyfriend whether Bill Compton could hear her or not.

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Feel free to leave a quick review for my quick chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the wait, but I am having a fabulous vacation! Hope you all enjoy this, and as always, **I love reviews!**

****Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is the originator and author of this series, I am only a cheap imitator.

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"Are you alright? Has the vampire left?"

Eric had the audacity to sound worried about her while willfully deceiving her.

"No, Bill is still here... and apparently, he is the only one being honest with me."

"Bill?" The Sheriff was obviously confused by her familiar use of the new vampire's first name. "Sookie, what has he been telling you?" He asked worriedly.

"I don't know, Eric. Why don't you tell me since you are the one keeping secrets? Bill told me about the driveway." Money had always been a point of contention for the girl who had grown-up without much of it. Eric had a tendency to throw his around.

Sookie did not understand the word that came across the cell phone, but it definitely sounded like a curse word. He was not happy that she had discovered his secret.

"I was going to surprise you tonight when you got home, but I suppose it is too late now. You had mentioned the expense of getting your driveway re-graveled, so I got it paved for you instead. I wanted to say thank you for being so understanding about my schedule. I know it is not how either of us would like."

Her anger balloon was officially popped. "Oh, thank you! That was really sweet of you!" It was all too often that she was left feeling dumb after jumping to a conclusion with Eric.

"Not to mention, it was cheaper than continuing to fix the paint job on my car." She could hear the mischievous grin in his voice.

She must have been giddy over such a thoughtful gift and the prospect of seeing him on one of his work nights because his comment did not even phase her. "Don't you dare ruin this moment Eric!" That might have sounded angry had she not been smiling the whole time. The thought of a night spent with Eric was enough to make any girl happy.

"Sookie, I need you to focus for a moment." His voice had gotten serious again, so she knew it was back to business Eric. "Who is Bill?"

"He is the vampire who moved into that old house across from mine. Turns out he is a Compton. He seems nice, probably just hasn't had time to check in with you." It was a reasonable explanation for the vampire who seemed like such a southern gentleman.

The other side was silent for a moment. Sookie actually looked at the phone to see if maybe the line had dropped, but she had full bars, a rarity in Bon Temps.

"Hand him the phone." Eric's voice came over the line once again.

"I can't just hand my phone to a stranger." The explanation fell short, as she knew it would.

"Either give him the phone or I am flying over there." Something about his voice made it clear the second option was not a good one.

"Fine..." She sulked all the way back out to the dining room, but her childishness was over by the time customers could see her. The phone was out in front of her like it had been meant for her Bill the entire time.

"Mr. Compton, Bill." She corrected herself. "I have someone on the line who would like to speak with you."

It sounded overly formal even to her, but then she was speaking on behalf of a vampire sheriff. And Sookie could not very well say the Sheriff of Area Five was calling, that would raise too many questions by the human patrons who were watching, and Bill might not know who Eric was by name. She had to hope he would simply take the phone, if only out of curiosity. Things were too complicated.

He took the phone with a vampire version of a quizzical look but no questions. He went still as Eric began talking rapidly on the other end. Bill did not nod, blink or even breath as he listened. The one-sided conversation only lasted for a moment, and Sookie had not caught a word.

"Unfortunately, I do not believe that will be possible." Bill's voice was not as friendly as before.

Sookie would have loved to be able to read vampire minds when Eric spoke inaudibly again.

"I believe if you wait another day, you will find that to be true."

She did know which of them hung up first, but Bill snapped her phone shut without ever saying goodbye. Then again, that was not really odd for vampires. Her vampire customer did seem a little more withdrawn than before, but it was hard to tell.

"Well, Sookie, it was a pleasure to meet you." He put more money on the table than necessary for his drink, even with a generous tip.

"What'd he say?" She asked before he could leave.

"That is not really my place to say. I hope we will be able to speak again." He reached out and kissed the top of her hand.

"Yeah, me too." She replied. It was one of the nicest meetings she had ever had with a vampire.

He nodded to her and Sam before leaving.

"Sookie, what's going on?" Sam asked when she brought the empty bottle of True Blood to the bar.

"Sam, I can honestly say I got no idea." She sighed, wondering if this was going to change the tenor of her evening with Eric.

Godric had not developed Eric's appreciation of cars, so Sookie was not surprised to see him next to her own little car when she went out to the parking lot of Merlotte's. The old vampire did not even own one as far as she knew. She unlocked the car doors without saying anything to him.

"You could have come in." She informed him once they were both in the car.

"My son was not sure of your reaction to my appearance." Her car was still driving nicely after it had gotten back from the garage.

"I'm always happy to see you, Godric. But I guess you aren't gonna tell me what is going on."

"Eric did not want you traveling alone back to your home, so I offered my services as an escort. He will be over later than expected if you can stay awake."

He probably knew what she meant, but she decided not to leave it be. "You got time to hang around until then?"

"It would be my pleasure."

They passed a moment in silence.

"Do you know anything about this Bill Compton guy?" She asked nonchalantly.

"I had never heard the name before tonight, but that is what is keeping Eric. He is trying to find out as much as he can."

"I see."

"You do seem to attract more than your share of trouble, and I find it odd that an unknown vampire would move in across from you, then visit your place of employment."

"Only it's his family house, that means something here in the South, and Merlotte's is really the only place in town to get a drink at night. Plus, he couldn't of known he was gonna be in my section when he set out. Arlene was supposed to be working as well."

"Those are valid points, but in our world, coincidences are rare."

"He didn't seem like a bad guy."

"I am sure you are an excellent judge of character, but it would be a tragedy for this to be the time you are mistaken."

"Yeah, I get that."

"I worry about you... as does Eric." He added the last part on quickly.

Was Godric embarrassed? Sookie desperately wanted to know, but she did not want to embarrass him further. It was just so rarely that he stumbled over words like that. Still, she left it alone.

As with many country homes, her driveway was not a short one. When they arrived, the entrance was blocked off. The concrete had been laid, faster than she thought possible, but it still wasn't dry.

"This is where Eric had planned on meeting you, so he could carry you to the house. He knew your feet would be tired after your shift."

"Awww..." Even though he had not been able to carry out his plan, she still greatly appreciated the thought he had put into it. This quite possibly would have been the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. "Damn you, Bill Compton." She whispered as they got out of the car.

"Sookie?" She may have whispered it, but she knew Godric had understood perfectly.

"If it hadn't been for him, this would have been a perfectly wonderful evening." His good first impression was taking a downward spiral, whether deserved or not. She realized it wasn't fair, but neither was having her first gift, that had managed to be a real surprise, ruined. She had always known every birthday or Christmas gift before she had even started unwrapping it.

She realized her car would have to stay out on the road for at least that night. It was a good thing she had done her grocery shopping earlier that week. Hopefully, someone would let her know when it would be okay to drive on. Maybe Jason knew how long things like that took.

"In my son's stead."

It was a strange sensation to be picked up by someone her height who looked even younger than she did. It was absolutely no time to protest as he set her down at the front door. Godric was even faster than Eric, and it took a moment for her stomach and voice to catch up with the rest of her body. Definitely no one could say he was trying to put the moves on her.

"Thanks." She finally managed. "Why don't we sit out here for a bit?"

It was fall, and the air was finally beginning to cool down. Sookie was a summer girl by nature, but she liked to enjoy the cooler weather while she could. Other vampires might have been insulted by the lack of invitation inside, but Godric had an open invitation that she doubted would ever be rescinded.

At a more human pace, Godric took a seat on the porch swing, leaving plenty of room for Sookie. The fact that he carried her was odd. It was one of the few times they had actually touched. She sat a proper distance away from him, studying him as he watched the stars.

"Why do you do that?"

"I am afraid I do not understand the question." He looked at her with his head tilted to the side as he tried to decipher Sookie's meaning.

"All vampires are different about touching I mean, you don't even shake hands, but you are worse."

"Most humans would not have noticed."

"I'm around you more than most humans."

"Quite true. It is not that I do not like humans, as I am sure you know. It is just difficult sometimes. I have not had human blood since even before the creation of synthetic blood. You would think eventually the thirst would fade, but that is simply not true. Part of that thirst is always with you, but I do not wish to partake."

"There are plenty of people more than willing to give, who'd probably enjoy the experience." Sure, it was a little uncomfortable to discuss with her "boyfriend's" "father," but if he was worried about hurting humans, he really didn't need to be.

"I existed for several centuries as most vampires, not caring about the lives I had taken. This is the sacrifice I have made in penance for those lives. No matter how long I live it will never be enough, but it seems the best repayment I can give. I keep my distance to keep my promise."

"That must be hard."

"Some humans make it harder than other, just as I am sure you are attracted to some sights or smells more than others. The fact that I am aware I now possess the self-control to consume without killing often gets in the way as my mind tries to rationalize this action. "

A thought struck her. "Do I make it hard?" Every vampire she had met commented on her scent. She did not like the idea of somehow causing Godric torment.

"I will not deny that yours is a particularly intoxicating scent, but you are the last human on earth I would ever bring to harm." He closed his eyes for a moment as if sensing something she could not.

"And now I must be on my way." He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek as if to prove his point. "A pleasure as always."

"Night Godric." It was her second kiss of the evening but neither from the one vampire she wanted to kiss her.

Godric stepped off the porch and took off into the night air. Perhaps flying was a family trait, but Sookie had never seen Pam so much as float. Maybe lineage had nothing to do with it. Still, the mental image of Pam in a pink velour tracksuit, wobbling in the air, had Sookie laughing so hard, she missed Eric touching down on her front steps.

"Glad to see you are not angry anymore."

She jumped up from her seat, ran over and practically tackled Eric as he leaned down for her kiss. Their height difference had never been a real problem with one of them able to lift the other single-handedly. In no time, Sookie was seated on the porch railing, so they could both fully enjoy the long, intense kiss. All without so much as a pause in the passionate greeting.

"Thank you for my new driveway." She stroked his face as he broke away so she could breath.

"Now that was more the reaction I was hoping for." He smiled down at her, fangs beginning to show.

A few months of absolutely spectacular sex had given Sookie a better understanding of how people like Hugo could become addicted to it. Sookie twined her fingers in his beautiful head of hair and spoke softly. "I was hoping for a few more reactions myself." She felt a little silly saying things like that, but Eric did not seem to think it was silly at all.

His eyes lit up as his mouth crashed against hers again. He grabbed her thighs, hoisting her back up off the railing. They were as close as clothes allowed.

"Keys, or I will break this door down." He growled at her between kisses.

She managed to get her keys out of her pocket before he made good on his threat, but he had shoved her up against the door at that point. It was hard enough to unlock a door from that angle, add in the fact that Eric's lips had moved down to her neck, and it was practically a miracle when the latch clicked. They probably would have fallen over if Eric had not been the one holding them both up.

Eric seemed to find the distance to her bedroom too far a trek. He threw her down onto the couch instead. It actually moved, but the cushions were enough that she did not mind. He stood over her, studying her as if he had not seen her in ages. He sidled himself over top of her, and she slid up his t-shirt, her other hand running over his washboard abs.

He was in mood to take things slow. He pulled his t-shirt off the rest of the way, then ripped hers down the middle.

"Eric!" He had just ruined one of her work shirts.

"It was in my way." He said by way of explanation. He only got away with it because she was suddenly incapable of further protest. His tongue had slid under the front of her bra in exploration. Any coherent thoughts, past carnal ones, had left her.

Sookie did not quite remember when their pants had been removed, but her hands enjoyed his unencumbered form. From his perfectly formed buttocks, she moved around front to other well formed parts. Considering the sounds he was making, he must have enjoyed her enthusiastic appreciation.

She lost track of things momentarily when he reciprocated. Her eyes closed at the wonderful feelings his fingers were inspiring in her.

"Look at me, Sookie."

She had learned early on that eye contact really did it for him, but when she looked at him, it was more because his hand had stopped than because of his command. He seemed to find her little pout amusing.

"Not yet, lover."

He grabbed her bare hips and lifted her up, once he had her positioned, he closed the remaining distance between them slowly and deliberately, his blue eyes holding her own. It was an amazingly beautiful sensation. As they found their rhythm, the couch began to slide back and forth across the wooden floor. She could feel her own undoing on the horizon, so she shifted her body up. Eric, as in tune with her movements as ever, adjusted his grip and motion until he was surging up, instead of forward.

Eyes still locked, she kissed him as he continued his pursuit of both their ends. Her tongue slid across his fang just as the wave of pleasure finally overcame her completely. It only took a few drops of her blood before he joined her.

After a moment, they both fell back onto the couch, Sookie tucked under Eric's arm as they enjoyed the aftershocks of some pretty earthmoving sex.

"You managed to make me forget we need to talk."

"Almost, anyway." She said ruefully. Talks tended to mean bad things for them. "Couldn't you at least wait until after I shower?"

"I suppose so." She managed to disentangle herself from Eric, her shredded shirt falling to the floor. "Perhaps I should wash off as well." His eyes took in her bare figure hungrily.

"This is not going to be one of those showers. I am tired, and if we still need to talk, we are just going to wash off and get out." She informed him seriously.

"Of course." His voice did not sound as sincere as she would have wanted.

Once again, it was proven that Sookie did not possess the gift of foresight. After another hour, they emerged from the bathroom finally clean and incredibly satisfied with each other's company.

" I am going to put on some pajamas before our talk." She said as they dried each other off.

"I would prefer all of our business be conducted in the nude."

"We would not get much actual business done. So, 'serious talking' equals clothes. If you want me to actually hear you, I suggest you put on some clothes as well."

He reluctantly returned to the living room for his clothes as she found fresh underwear and an acceptable nightgown. When she returned to the living room, Eric was fully clothed and the couch was in its proper place again, a few new gouge marks on the floor.

"So?" She sat down across from him in one of the sofa chairs just as if they were in his office.

"Bill is not to be trusted." He was not one to mince words.

"Look, I am not happy he ruined your surprise either, but he could hardly have known that getting pavement would be a present." Now that she was happy again, she was able to be more generous than she had been earlier to Bill Compton.

"Sookie, I hope you do not think I am that petty."

"So, you aren't angry he ruined it?"

"That is not the point." He finally told her after they had a good stare off.

"That's what I thought." Her reply was a little triumphant.

Eric did not share her joking mood this time. "This is very important. Bill is here doing work for the Queen."

"Is that what you were talking about on the phone?"

"No."

She waited.

"Not completely. He hinted that might be the case."

"So, what did you say to him before that?"

"I told him you were mine, and he was to leave the area immediately." It was as matter-of-fact as a newscaster.

"Well, that was rude. He had not made any passes at me."

"Sookie, you cannot trust him."

"No, you do not want me to trust him because he is working for the Queen, but you work for the Queen too. Should I not trust you?"

"That is not amusing, Sookie." He did not approve of the smile on her face. "I have told you before that vampire politics are very complicated. Now, will you please listen to me and stay away from him?"

"It's a small town. I am going to see him, and I will not be rude to him when I do. It's just not the way I was raised, but I do promise not to take a six pack of bloods over to his house for girl talk, if that helps."

"It is something, I suppose." He did not look pleased.

"Look, I am yours. It isn't like he can just glamour me. If I understand things right, that means he would have to break some pretty big vamp rules to be a threat, and you know where to find him if he did."

"True, but I would rather it not come to that.""

"I'll be careful, I promise." She tried to reassure him.

"On that note, I would like you to consider a roommate."

"Eric, there really isn't anyone I know who would move in with me, and I am not inviting a stranger."

"No, no, not a stranger, but I could have Pam..."

"Please don't do that!" She cut that off before he could finish. "She and I are just starting to get along. If you force her to babysit me, she will hold it against me." It was true that Eric's right hand woman was finally starting to warm up to Sookie after almost a whole month without incident.

Apparently, she had enjoyed the story of Sookie facing down the maenad. It had probably been a little embellished, but if it won the she-vampire over, Sookie decided she could live with it. Now, Pam seemed to enjoy some of Sookie's more human tendency, and her ability to upset the human patrons of Fangtasia, which Pam was not allowed to do. Sookie loved Pam's unique sense of humor, a rarity amongst vampires.

"That is fair." He agreed with her. "Chow does not seem like a good choice."

"Definitely."

He raised an eyebrow at her in question.

"He kind of scares me." She admitted to him.

His laughter filled her living room. Obviously, he found it much more amusing than she did.

"Fine, not Chow." Eric said, once recovered.

"I'm not really comfortable enough with any of the other vampires in your area." She thought about it for a moment, trying to think who she felt comfortable with in her home. "You could have Alcide do it to pay off his debt to you."

"No." Apparently, he did not find that amusing at all.

"Good, then I can stay by myself." She was proud of her winning move but had spoken too soon.

"What about Godric?"

"You can't be seriously thinking of having your maker babysit me..."

"It would not be babysitting. He enjoys spending time with you anyway, and he does not seem to get along with the other vampires. It might benefit you both."

"I just don't know. I mean, if you think it would be better for him, then sure. I just don't want to be a burden." She yawned.

"I will speak with him about it on my own. For now, I need to get you in bed."

"I need to sleep, Eric." She informed his sly grin.

"That is what I meant, of course."

"Sure, it is..."He trailed behind her as she moved to her room.

Sookie fell asleep spooning with her own personal vampire god.


	3. Chapter 3

I know you all were hoping for a substantial chapter, but I am struggling through the set-up for the action in Book Three. I hope it will not feel too rushed for you all, but for some reason I just don't want to seem to write it all out. You all will have use your minds to fill in some of the mundane. (It doesn't help that I have come to realize I hate writing Jason scenes)

You will probably notice some re-hashing of events from the first book which were postponed for Bill's arrival. Things will change, so please do not abandon me thinking I have become Alan Ball. **This is still an E/S fic!**

**As always, I love reviews. Thank you to everyone who reviews regularly, you are the reason I am trudging through the boring stuff!**

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"So the upstairs is pretty much yours. Eric said he would build some place that's light tight. He'd been planning to for himself anyway." Sookie paused there, having not thought this part through all the way. "I have a couple closets that might work for now."

"Do not concern yourself. I will simply go to ground in the interim." He looked around the room as every other vampire who had visited her had done. It must be some sort of vampire imperative to know your surroundings and exits.

"Go to ground?" That was a new phrase for a girl who considered herself pretty up on vampire stuff.

"For most of history, traveling vampires have simply gone underground when the sun came up. Moveable coffins are a relatively new convention and quite cumbersome for stealthy travel." His explanation left her quiet for a moment as the idea of Pam burrowing into the ground popped into her head.

"I never really thought about that."

"Once the populace turned to permanent structures, it became easier to hide,but when humans could not know of our existence, it was important not to be in the same place for too long. We still like to have options."

"With people like the Fellowship of the Sun running around, it is no wonder."

The mention of the fanatical anti-vampire group left an awkward silence in the room. They did not talk about what had happened when Sookie came to save Godric. For her part, Sookie was embarrassed over losing her temper with him and the things she had said. She figured that Godric was embarrassed for his part as well, though he never said as much.

"So… what are you going to do while I'm at work?" She reached for a different topic.

"Much as I have been doing, either go with you or go to Fangtasia. I do not expect much could happen to you with the shifter there."

Godric called Sam that as a matter of fact. He did not seem to hold any of the usual vampire animosities. In fact, he could have been the poster boy for universal tolerance if he wasn't so opposed to having his picture taken.

"You're probably right. Then again, I didn't really think he was going to try anything anywhere." She really that was convoluted but her vampire friend was unphazed.

"I believe you have a popularized saying of 'better safe than sorry.'It seems appropriate for this situation."

That had Sookie laughing. Godric spoke "modern" colloquialisms the way other people spoke an unknown language.

"Was that not right?" He asked his giggling roommate.

"Oh no, that was perfect!"

"Glad to see my plan is already working out so well."

"Your plan?" Sookie asked incredulously as Eric came in with a box of Godric's stuff. Usually, Eric was more of a 'hire someone else to do it' kind of guy, but apparently no human was good enough to touch his maker's clothes.

"I do believe it was my idea for you to get a roommate."

"Yeah, well, it was also your idea for it to be Pam. No offense." She added as the tall, blond vampire joined the small party.

"None taken. It would have been horrible."

"It would not have been because you would have been on your best behavior." Eric warned his progeny.

"I would have been on my best behavior, and it still would have been horrible."

"Children..." Godric interrupted before Eric would carry on.

They acted more like brother and sister than father and daughter, as long as Eric wasn't giving order. For just a moment, it felt so much like a real family, Sookie almost forgot that she was in the company of three vampires who had seen centuries pass by. She almost forgot that she was sleeping with one of them without even being sure if he loved her.

Almost.

"Yes, Grandfather Godric?" Pam had her own unique brand of humor which Sookie appreciated. Godric, on the other hand, did not seem quite sure what to do with that particular title. Pam looked proud of herself, and Eric was actually shaking his head in disbelief. Humor was an oddity among vampires.

Eric finally directed Pam in the placement of the box she was still holding. Then,at vampire speed,they began setting up room. He would not need the bed,but the closet and drawers would come in handy. Perhaps Pam had been elected to go shopping for Godric because Sookie was surprised at the number of polos,khakis,and button-down shirts in his wardrobe. The ancient vampire had always struck her as more of a tunic and linen pants kind of guy.

Sookie had made sure to take extra care when cleaning,but it felt weird to be cleaning out what had been Jason's old room. If Godric would not have looked silly among the pastels,she would have given him her old room. Now,she was forced to stand in the doorway to avoid speeding vampires. The hostess in her said this was not right,but there was not much she could do to help.

Instead,she went down to heat up some TrueBloods. Eric had brought some over for Godric's stay,so she popped three in the microwave. She didn't know about vampires, but moving always made humans thirsty. As the bloods heated up, she thought about the fact that a man was moving in to her house. A man to whom she was not married. What would her pastor say?

Before she could contemplate the implications, her thoughts were interrupted. The late night knock on the door was as unexpected as the visitor who was on the other side.

"Hello Bill."

"Good evening Miss Stackhouse."

"I thought we talked about this." She could feel Eric behind her,and she was going to keep it as civil as possible as long as possible.

"My apologies,Sookie. Old habits and what not. I was out and thought I smelled some strange vampires. As I know you belong to my sheriff,I thought I would check to make sure you were alright."

"That was very kind of you." Had she just heard Eric snort? No,that was probably her imagination. Sookie was pretty sure vampires didn't snort. "Actually, it's your sheriff that is here. Bill Compton, this is Eric Northman." She used his full name for the introduction,stepping aside. Both men were taller than her (not a difficult accomplishment) and had clearly seen each other already as Bill had been staring above her head the entire time they spoke, but it was the polite thing to do.

They sized each other up for a moment, which in her experience was normal for vampires... and men.

"Sheriff Northman." Bill bowed his head as was expected when meeting a higher ranked vampire,but he never broke eye contact.

Eric's head moved so little in return it was less of an inclination and more of a twitch. "We've met. Now leave."

"Eric." Sookie did not challenge Eric's rudeness at Fangtasia among his employees, but he was at her house. Bill was her guest, albeit an unexpected one.

"No, it is alright, Sookie. I just came to ensure your safety, not for a social call."

"Well, now you know my scent as well as that of my maker and progeny. I trust this will not happen again."

"Of course." Bill was about as stoic as any vampire she had seen,but his gaze had flashed to Godric when Eric said "maker." He was looking at Eric again, but she got the feeling he wanted to look elsewhere. His eyes looked more interested now, and the air had become less charged, even with Eric still glaring at the Southern vampire.

"Will this count as my official introduction, or should I stop by Fangtasia one night?"

"This will do." Eric replied through clenched teeth. His fangs were not out which was impressive considering the level of his anger.

Bill nodded in acknowledgement. "Evening everyone, Sookie." He spared her a smile before leaving. Once a Southern gentleman, always a Southern gentleman.

"Shoot! Your bloods will be cold now." She broke the intense silence.

All three vampires turned to look at her simultaneously. It is an unsettling feeling to have a group of vampires look at you like_ you_ are the odd one.

"What? They will be."

* * *

The sun had been down for a while as the dinner crowd left Merlotte's. Those remaining were there for the drinks rather than the food. As far as bars go, Merlotte's was pretty family-friendly,but weekend nights saw their share of drinkers.

Sookie wondered if Godric would show up. She had been surprised how well the arrangement had worked out so far. During the day,she had the house to herself to clean and enjoy the sun,and she no longer came home to an empty house every night.

If Godric was not with her at work,then he was always waiting when she got home. It made her feel safe without feeling smothered as one of Eric's lackeys might have. He was even thoughtful enough to find other amusements on the nights when Eric was able to visit her.

Godric seemed happier as well. Surprisingly enough,Jason and Godric had really hit it off over dinner one night. While Jason had been stand-offish with Eric, he had taken to the quiet vampire quickly. Now when Godric came to Merlotte's he could usually be found with Jason and Hoyt.

The waitress had often wondered why they seemed to get along. Perhaps Godric was fascinated with Jason's ability to continue talking about himself without any encouragement whatsoever from the others in the conversation. It was probably fairer to think he appreciated the fact that a human who had little connection to the supernatural world seemed so comfortable around him. And Hoyt was okay with it because Jason was okay with it.

Either way, she did not really understand how a creature who had seen as much as Godric had could listen to her brother tell stories about his conquests. Of course, it had been worth it to be there the night that Godric offered a story of his own. Especially when Jason realized that Godric was talking about the Cleopatra. Sookie never got up the courage to ask if there had really been an asp, but luckily, it never crossed Jason's mind.

"Where's your vampire?" Sam asked. He had probably noticed her head pop up expectantly when Jane Bodehouse came in. She let her shields down,so she would know if it was a vampire next time. The bar was not so full that it would be overwhelming.

"He's not my vampire, Sam." Knowing he meant Godric because he never mentioned Eric unless required.

Her boss looked overly thoughtful for a moment as she refilled some drinks. "He could be you know. If you wanted to be with him instead, Eric couldn't say anything."

She waited for the punch line or the just kidding, but none came. She had known that Sam preferred Godric to Eric, but to make that suggestion was a whole nother level. "Seriously,Sam,that is just gross."

"Jason likes him well enough."

"Well, then maybe Jason should date him!"

"I was only thinking of what's best for you. You can't blame a guy for trying."

"Hell yes I can!" She walked away because a vampire was coming in, and she did not want Godric to hear any part of that conversation.

Instead Bill Compton walked in. Considering she had not seen hide nor tail of him in two weeks, it was a little surprising.

"Hey Bill." She greeted him when he sat in her section,much to Arlene's relief. The other waitress had just gotten used to Godric's presence but did not like the idea of another vampire frequenting her bar.

"Evening Sookie. Do you all still have some Type O?"

"Coming right up."

It actually crossed her mind to call Eric to let him know,but she quickly brushed that off. Sookie was a little upset with herself for letting Eric's paranoia get to her. There was a time when she had not been so suspicious.

Instead, she delivered the refills that had been in her hand before going behind the bar and pretending as if Sam did not exist. When she returned with a gently warmed bottle, her curiosity overcame her.

"What brings you in tonight?" She had thought Bill had been avoiding Merlotte's because of Eric's warnings. If that was the case, she wanted to know what had changed. Only, that would have been a rude question to ask.

"I have finally finished settling into the house. It still needs some real work, but I have done all I can do."

That did not really seem like much of a reason. "So, you're celebrating?" She attempted to lead him into further explanation.

"Actually, I am hoping that I can make people more comfortable with me by being seen in public."

She nodded like that made sense, but he must have known she was confused because he continued without prompting this time.

"Places around here close before I can call and no one seems to want to return my calls when I leave a message."

"That would be a problem." It would be difficult for a human stranger to get help that way,make it a vampire and that ups the stakes.

"Indeed." He was studying her,and it was nice not to know what conclusions he had come to. "Do you think my plan will work?"

"Honestly? No." He had leaned forward conspiratorially, but at her negativity, he leaned back again. "It's a pretty tightly wound community. If you don't have an in already, it's hard to get in."

He nodded his understanding but did not speak. It was the vampire version of being dejected. Now,she felt sorry for the lonely vampire. Eric was unlikely to help as he might any other vampire who moved into his territory. Sookie hadn't known many queens, but this seemed like it would be beneath the concerns of one.

"Look, I could call around for you; get a list of names together. You'll have to tell me what you need, but I think a couple would be willing if they knew you were serious about it. Not many around here can afford to snub their nose when the paycheck is real enough." She hoped that was a subtle enough way of saying that he would need to actually pay them.

"I plan on staying here for some time, so I would like to help the community by keeping the work local."

That worked for her. "People know me around here." She left out that half of them thought she was crazy. "I can vouch for you."

"That would be wonderful." He smiled at her,and she began feeling good about this easily done good deed.

She ripped a sheet off her order pad and handed him one of her extra pens. "Just write down the kind of work you need done, and I will just drop it by your house when I get the names."

"I sure do appreciate this!"

"Just do me a favor and don't bite any of em, or my name'll be mud in this town." She winked to make sure he knew she was joking.

"I will refrain for your sake."

Sookie could not tell if he was joking back or not,but her other tables were getting restless. By the time she was done with refills and orders, Bill was gone with his list and payment left on the table.

* * *

It turns out something was wrong and the program I typed in took out spaces after commas. I think I caught most of them, but sorry if it annoyed you!


	4. Chapter 4

Lately, I feel like all my writing is kind of getting away from me. Hopefully, it is just that the story is flowing well, but this was not my original plan for this chapter. When I started writing it, this just came out.

Hope you all enjoy it! Love reviews as always

Disclaimer: Not mine, this belongs to Charlaine Harris. I just tweaked it a little.

* * *

It only took a few days before she had the names Bill would need. People had been surprisingly excited about working for a vampire once they knew he wouldn't suck them dry. Originally, the danger had outweighed the mystery, but now they could claim bravery to their friends and still make a decent paycheck.

Driving up the old gravel road, Sookie couldn't help but smile at the thought of her own even pavement and the vampire behind it. This house could definitely use some new gravel. The Compton House had begun to decline even before Old Mr. Compton had passed away. He had always been a do-it-yourself kind of man. When he couldn't do it, it didn't get done. Now, it was a shadow of its former Southern elegance lost amongst the Louisiana jungle.

It was no wonder Bill needed help.

She was surprised to see another car out in front of the house. The Lincoln was covered in vampire bumper stickers, complete with a license plate reading "fangs1." Whoever it was, he probably didn't have a soccer mom over.

"I'm just gonna run in and give him these names." She thought about not intruding at all since he had guests, but he did seem to want the names.

"Sookie, I would be remise if I let you go in there alone." Eric would have told her she was not allowed to go, but that was not Godric's style.

"Ya'll didn't have the greatest first meeting. It'd be rude to bring you along uninvited. Besides, I don't plan on going in at all." She could feel his hesitation. "If something doesn't seem right, you can be up there before they even get me through the doorway, can't you?" She knew how fast he was.

"That is hardly the point." It wasn't a denial.

"Please? First sign of trouble, you have my full permission to barge in guns ablazing." This would never have worked on Pam or Chow.

"First sign of trouble."

"Thank you!" In her jubilation over getting her way with a vampire, she bounded up the steps towards the front door. She even had a little bounce in her final step as she knocked on the door. It was always nice to do something for someone else, and there were so few people left in her life that she could actually provide a service to that did not require her little quirk. She felt like just a normal neighbor bringing over a cup of sugar… except a vampire would never need a cup of sugar.

She was waited for just a second. The door was not opened by Bill but by a woman Sookie had never seen. Did Bill have a vampire girlfriend? The vampire was an African American and gorgeous. Unfortunately, she obviously knew she was.

"Hello human chick." The sneer on her face was not endearing, but Gran had taught her to be polite to strangers.

"Hey, is Bill around? I have some numbers for contractors that he needed." Sookie's smile might have been a little strained, but it was there.

She opened the door a little wider, and Sookie could see Bill. He was standing in the shadows, but from what she could tell, he did not look happy. It did not look like he had any great love for his guest. "Why don't you come in and join us? We didn't bring any snacks for the party." Bill's posture had her much more concerned than the woman's insinuations. She was used to that from vampires.

"Oh Bill! I had a friend waiting in the car. You met him the other night. Can he come in as well?" She tried to make that as poignant as possible.

"The more the merrier." Apparently, the she-vamp was none too observant, but Bill had nodded his consent as well.

Sookie confidently stepped into the house. A slight breeze and the surprised look on the woman's face told her Godric had joined them already. Bill relaxed perceptively. Everything was fine now. Looking between the three vampires, she noticed for the first time that Bill's guest didn't look quite right. Her vampire glow was dim, almost sallow. Her normal skin tone had made it not as noticeable.

"Bill, I don't believe you've been properly introduced to Godric. Godric, Bill." Godric had no surname and, unlike Eric, had never created one for himself.

"Of course, your reputation precedes you. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Bill nodded deeply, and Sookie got the impression he really meant it.

"I see you have a guest… guests." She corrected herself as another male vampire with a buzzed head and lots of tattoos joined them.

It was a very good thing that Godric had been with her. This whole thing could, and probably would, have played out much differently if she had come by herself. As it was, she could feel the power shift that had occurred. Bill had been outnumbered before, and as a human she was more of a liability than an ally. However, Godric constituted a one man army in the vampire world. Age was strength, and the two strangers both look as if they had been changed within the last few decades judging by teeth and the big guys tattoos.

"Come on over chickie." Buzz hadn't gotten the memo his partner had.

Sookie just shrugged. It was kind of fun to be on the strong side for once. She had so used to tiptoeing around Supes, but they had the advantage this time. "Why not?"

Godric did not look quite so pleased, but didn't look worried as he followed her into Bill's living room. When Sookie took a seat on the couch, Godric stationed himself behind it. Bill and the woman both took the arm chairs in the room, but the big guy was standing, eyes locked on the couch. Maybe Bill was enjoying this too as evidenced by the smile on his face, but Diane's eyes kept flitting to Godric.

"So Diane, you were telling me about Malcom?" She looked at the only human in the room. "Sookie is familiar with vampires, it is safe to speak in front of her."

"His boy toy Jerry had Sino-AIDs. I had a mild case, but Malcom caught it bad. Liam and I tried taking care of him, but he wasn't getting better. We ended up putting him in one of those centers for infected vampires. They don't know when he will be out."

"She yours?" Liam interrupted. His eyes roamed over Sookie in a way that she did not appreciate but that she all too familiar with.

"No, she belongs to my progeny." Godric's voice was as calm as ever.

The labeled still bothered her a little, but she understood the significance, and usefulness, in this situation. Still, her nose automatically crinkled in response.

"Baby, if he isn't keeping you satisfied, I'd be more than happy to take over your care."

"Fuck off." Okay, so the power had gone to her head a little. She had always wanted to say that to someone who looked at her like that. At work, she had to keep the customer's happy for Sam's sake, and with vampires, well, it was just not a good choice of words for health reasons. Which she realized as he took a step towards her.

The human brain has the tremendous ability to fill in gaps in information. Judging by the pillow that had fallen over onto her, Sookie assumed that Godric had vaulted over the couch to land in front of her. And judging by the fact that Liam was now doing his best impression of a fanged rug with Godric's hand holding his chest down, she guessed Godric had slammed him into the ground. Unfortunately, she had literally missed it in the blink of an eye. That cringe of realization that she had pissed off a creature much stronger and faster than her. The crashing noise that had accompanied the altercation had left Diane with a grimace on her face, but she did not come to her friend's aid. She was definitely the brains of the duo.

"You will show her respect." It was the first time Sookie had ever heard that edge to Godric's voice. Liam had the good sense to retract his fangs. Maybe, it was finally sinking in for him.

"I think we have overstayed our welcome." Diane said, her voice shaking a little. She was probably surprised that Liam was still alive.

"I am sure if you agree to stay in Monroe and not return to Bon Temps, Godric would probably not find it necessary to report this slight to his progeny, Sheriff Northman." If possible, both vampires paled. Godric may have been stronger, but _Eric_ they had heard of. Bill had just ensured there would be no retaliation for this incident on any parties.

"Of course, we apologize for the… misunderstanding. We'll just be on our way." Diane rose slowly as if not wanting to provoke an attack.

Godric hefted the larger vampire back up by his shirt and set him back on his feet. He even straightened the other vampire's shirt. Liam stood very still for the entire process. Neither of them so much as glanced at Sookie.

"Liam, let's go." As if it pained her to do so, Diane turned her back on Bill and Godric, grabbed Liam by the arm and dragged him out of the house.

"My apologies for the aggression towards your guests." Godric resumed his position behind Sookie. Now _that_ was a bodyguard.

"No, they were very unwelcome, but the kind of people not easily gotten rid of. Hopefully, that will be the last I see of them. Was my arrangement alright with you?"

"It is probably for the best." Godric paused before continuing. "Eric can be overly aggressive when it comes to what is his." The thinly veiled threat sounded weird coming from Godric. Sookie actually turned around in her seat to make sure it was really him. But sure enough, the small vampire's face was sternly set as he held Bill's gaze.

"I understand."

"Good."

"Do vampires ever get tired of speaking like the humans in the room aren't there? Because Lord knows the humans do." She spoke to the air beside her.

Both men looked at her. It was that same odd feeling of having vampires find you strange. She had been going for something closer to precocious.

"I only came by to drop off these names. Godric and I have plans for tonight." Those plans were a trip to Fangtasia, but it would be better for Bill not to become familiar with the vampire bar.

"Thank you again for doing that." He rose to take the paper she was holding out, scanning over the numbers.

"You're welcome. Now, we better get going as well."

"Godric…" Bill spoke as she got up to leave. "I would very much enjoy the chance to speak with you again sometime."

Now, it was Sookie's turn to look at someone as if they were strange. Godric seemed just as surprised. Bill must have realized further explanation was required before consent would be given because he spoke again, a little hastily.

"Studying vampire history is a past time of mine, and I hoped you might be willing to share a little of your own with me."

Bill was history buff. Who knew? Sookie wondered if vampires did re-enactments as well, but that just seemed a little dangerous. Were there vampire civil wars?

"I do not see why not. I will be staying with Sookie for a while." He slipped that information in casually enough. "So I will be in the area."

"I appreciate it." His smile seemed genuine, but it was always hard to tell with vampires. Sookie took it as another sign that Eric was rubbing off on her a little too much that she was looking for Bill to be false now.

"Bye Bill. See you around."

"Night Sookie. Godric, I will be in contact."

Godric nodded to Bill in farewell, walking behind Sookie on their way out.

Diane and Liam must have left in a hurry because there were deep tire tracks in the thin gravel. Sookie did not really blame them. Even Buzzhead had looked about ready to piss himself when he realized what a huge mistake he had made. Running with vampires was so complicated. After all, had Liam been the older, stronger vampire, she very well could have gone to him instead, had she wanted to.

"And to think, the night is just beginning." She told Godric with a faint smile as they loaded back into her car.

* * *

She should have know better than to speak such words.

Fangtasia was absolutely packed. They had gone in through the employee entrance rather than wait in the line outside. Tonight, Eric was holding court for a few hours before he could spend the rest of the evening with Godric and Sookie. Meeting him there meant he could help out his business while still seeing them. Unfortunately, Sookie had the lunch shift the next day, so they would not be there late. The roommates got a booth to wait out the rest of Eric's work obligations.

A waitress brought Godric a synthetic blood without it ever being ordered.

"And for you?" Sookie recognized Ginger's brain even in the dimly lit bar.

"Just a water for me. Thanks, Ginger."

"The master (Sookie hated it when they called him that) has given instructions for all your drinks to be free." Ginger did not think Sookie deserved this distinction, but she did think the girl should take full advantage of it while she could.

"Water'll be fine, thanks."

The waitress shrugged as she made her way over to Chow, who was making a show of pouring a water. The bartender did not hit on her, but that almost made him scarier. Men usually either leered at her or avoided her. Anything in between was uncomfortable ground.

When Ginger brought back the water with a lemon, lime, and orange slice on the outside, Sookie thanked her again. Chow usually made terrible drinks, but maybe he had a sense of humor after all. Or maybe it had been Pam, whose billowing black chiffon sleeves were accentuating her wave of hello. Sookie waved back at Pam, who was apparently trying to find the weak link in a bachelorette party. Then, she and Godric sat in silence enjoying Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night."

"Little young for you, isn't he, sweetheart?" She had missed the rather intoxicated thoughts of the man who was now leaning on their table. Apparently, it was her day for unwanted flirtations.

Godric's head tilted towards the man, but it was Sookie who spoke.

"Actually, he's a lot older than me, like a lot." It amazed her that the man could not tell. All vampires had a sort of glow about them to her, and Godric shone particularly bright.

She actually watched as her meaning tried to sink in. He was a relatively older man, probably in his mid-forties, but he had kept in shape. His suit said that he worked in the professional world, but it was not so nice that he was writing him own ticket. From the activity in his head, she was not exactly surprised. He was not a quick one. When his brain finally comprehended what she was telling him, it didn't keep him from making an ass of himself.

"All the more reason for you to join us." He pointed back to a small stand-up table where his buddy with a slight beer belly and a receding hair line was standing. So Mr. Moderately Good Looking was the bait.

Neither of them liked vampires, making their presence in Fangtasia somewhat of a mystery. Or at least it would be to someone who couldn't read minds. She saw it all laid out in his head. He and his buddy had big plans for that night, and girls who did vamps were up for anything. It was not true, but it was not a novel concept to her either.

Jim and his friend hadn't noticed, but Eric had risen to his feet, watching the situation intently. Vampire hearing was a little too good sometimes. She shook her head at him to let him know she had it, but he was making his way over all the same. The mass of people on the dance floor were making his passing difficult, and he couldn't exactly step on his own livelihood, though some of them would have enjoyed it.

"Look Jim.. what would Sharon think if she knew you and Carl over there were trying to pick up a girl for a threesome?" She left out that Carl was actually only interested in Jim being there. That was Carl's secret to tell even if he was a strong broadcaster. Jim's mouth dropped opened just from the inclusion of names she could not have known.

"Your wife and kids love you, so cut out this midlife crisis bullshit, and go home to them. You've already had to explain away one mouth sore, don't make it anything worse." She did not like knowing things like that, but he would definitely think twice before trying to pick up a girl in a bar.

In fact, he stumbled back, trying to get away from her. Right back into Eric's solid frame. Businessman Jim made the mistake of looking into the eyes of the man he had bumped into. He never got a chance to mutter an apology.

"You will never want to return to this place, but you will not remember what this woman just said to you. Only that she turned you down."

Even sitting where she was, Sookie could feel the imperative Eric had forced upon the man. She had never felt a mind as it was being glamoured, and she did not enjoy the feeling one bit. So much for mainstreaming.

The trio watched as Jim practically ran to the exit. Others had noticed the exchange, but only because all eyes followed Eric. Even now, a dozen different patrons were devising ways to bump into the bar owner. No one noticed as Carl threw some money on the table then hurried after Jim to console him any way possible. Sookie spent no time being sorry for Carl as her irritation at Eric grew.

"I had that under control. He was already leaving when you showed up."

Godric silently left, though Sookie had no idea where he would go to in Fangtasia. Eric did not take his place, but remained towering over the table. It did not make her feel protected as Godric standing behind her had. It made her feel belittled.

"You should have been more careful. We can't afford humans finding out about you right now. You were drawing too much attention."

"Says the vampire who just glamoured someone in front of an entire bar." She whispered back savagely.

"To keep him from talking about you."

"People who have known me my whole life don't even believe what I can do! He was probably too drunk to remember it in the morning anyway."

Eric leaned down towards her to continue the heated discussion when he froze. He lifted a strand of her hair and smelled it deeply. Which left Sookie wondering why that was such a turn on. It was not right. How could she still be so attracted to him and angry at him all at the same time?

The expression on his face when he pulled away from her killed any lustful feelings she might have been entertaining.

"Why do you smell of vampire?" She had forgotten that the vampire sense of smell was only second to shifters.

"Well, I do live with one now." It wasn't a lie, but she should have known she would not get out of it so easily.

"My office." Eric rose again to his full height. It made her neck hurt to look up at him. He stepped her out of the way for her to get up.

No doubt he did not want to continue the talk in front of all the vampires under his authority who were scattered throughout the room. All of them were conveniently not looking their way. She could have just sat there until he at least said please, but then she pictured him slinging her over his shoulder and carrying her off. It was not one of those few glimpses of his mind she sometimes caught, but it was definitely something he would do. His vampires would not stop him, and most of the people in the bar would either applaud at the spectacle or be jealous it wasn't them.

Rather than risk the humiliation, she jutted out her chin and rose with all the dignity she could muster. As if she were the one condescending to oblige his request. Sookie stalked off towards his office without ever even looking at him. It felt strangely like being called to the principal's office.

Once they were safely behind closed doors, Eric took the seat behind his desk. Sookie remained standing, having no intention of being lower than him again. He could look up at her for once. Her own small act of rebellion. Was she angry? Yes. Was this childish? Probably.

"What happened?"

"All that 'happened,'" she actually put little finger quotes on the word, "is that I helped out a neighbor."

"This neighbor being Bill Compton." It was a statement. She had no other neighbors, so she did not feel it was necessary to confirm this. He continued on in her silence. "The Bill Compton I specifically warned you away from."

"He needed help finding people to fix his house, and I told you I would be polite to him."

He momentarily gave up on that point. "I smelled others as well."

"He had people over." She used the term loosely.

"Do not make me go to Godric for the full story. I would prefer not to bring my maker into this." He pointed between them.

"Maybe you should have thought about that before he moved in with me." She paused realizing she did not want to harp too much on that point. She enjoyed having Godric at her house. "Look, I'm fine, he's fine. Why can't you just leave it at that?"

"Because I need to know everything about Compton so I can be ahead of whatever he and the Queen have planned." His voice was strained, both hands on the desk in front of him.

"That's what this is really about! It isn't about me. It's about you. It's about this being out of your control. You can't stand that he didn't have to listen to you. Everyone in Area 5 bows to Eric Northman." That was a little unfair, but Mr. High-Handed had really riled her up.

"My existence would be a lot easier if everyone did. However, some are content to defy me at every turn!" His own anger was no longer concealed.

"I am not one of your vampire servants to be ordered around!" She was yelling now, whether this room was sound-proofed or not.

"But you _are_ mine."

It was the first time he had spoken those words outside of love-making. Sookie realized now that he truly meant that in every way. Somehow she had talked herself around the fact that she was with a vampire. She had told herself this was different. He cared about her as more than a possession. A normal boyfriend would have wanted to know if she was safe or not, Eric just wanted information.

"No Eric, I'm my own." She turned to leave, but Eric was standing in her way.

"This discussion is not over." His voice was dangerously quiet.

"That's true, but if we keep going right now. I will say something I will regret." The fight had left her as she spoke to his chest, unable to look into his eyes for fear of crying. "So unless you just want to further prove my point by forcing me to stay, I am going to go home now."

He was absolutely still, not even pretending to breath. Sookie was becoming afraid he really would keep her there, but he still had made no move towards her. Tears were forming in her eyes, so she risked moving rather than be caught in this weakness. Eric allowed her to push past him and exit without ever speaking a word.

This was definitely not how she had seen her night ending. And it wasn't until she had made it out to her car that she realized she had forgotten something important.

"Godric…" She was going to have to go back in and find him. It would be wrong to just abandon him there.

"I think," she jumped as he spoke beside her. "I will stay here a while longer. I will make my own way back. If you manage to beat me there, I will return shortly thereafter."

Sookie only nodded. He was giving her time alone. Being in a car with him, with anyone, would have been like being trapped when all she wanted was to be by herself. She could have cried it was so sweet. In fact, a single tear broke through her blockade, rolling down her cheek.

Godric reached out and caught the drop. She watched as he licked the tear from his finger. It was the single most vampire-like thing she had ever seen him do, more than the flying or even the violence earlier that day. It made her feel very lonely in that parking lot.

"I'll see you at the house." It was all she managed before she got in her car.

When she pulled away, she could still see Godric in her rearview mirror, staring at his finger.

* * *

Please tell me what you think! Have faith, this is still a Eric/Sookie fic!


	5. Chapter 5

So, this will be a very uneventful chapter, but very necessary to the development of characters! I know you are all just dying to read it now!

Disclaimer: Characters, Settings, and Plots themes belong to Charlaine Harris/Alan Ball. I am just playing around here!

* * *

Maybe Eric was just busy again, or maybe (like her) pride was keeping him from being the first to talk. Either way, it had been almost a week since their fight, and both of them were very stubborn. For her part, Sookie knew she had been overly critical on some things. Unfortunately, she also knew she had been spot on with others.

The last few days had passed on a sort of auto-pilot. She went to work, chatted with Sam, paid her bills, but it was all done with practiced detachment, as evidenced by the dip in her tip money. Lucky, that was not a burden as it once would have been. Sookie had not felt this alone since Gran died, even with someone else living in her house.

Godric was giving her plenty of space after his attempt at consolation.

_He had waited until the next night after the blow-up to say anything. Sookie had been home, and Jason had joined her for dinner, staying a bit longer to greet the ancient vampire when he rose. If her brother had noticed she seemed depressed, Jason had not said anything about it. Maybe that was smart of him._

_It was just about time for her to turn in to bed when Godric finally spoke up. She had known he was holding something in, but he would get to it eventually. "Eric cares for you." It was simple but well meant._

_She had paused at her own door, thinking over his words. "Yeah, but he cares more about himself."_

_There had been no response. Sookie knew before she said it there was no good response, at least not a true one. She went to bed with Godric's silence hanging over her._

That had been the second of several sleepless nights. Now, she was home with one vampire who had been walking on eggshells for days while her vampire boyfriend, if he still considered himself that (if he _ever_ considered himself that), was off doing Lord only knew what. Best Friday Night **Ever.**

Godric was watching re-runs of "Buffy," or maybe it was "Angel." Sookie did not quite feel like watching a vampire romance/drama. She was in one of her own. Instead, she had opted for a good mystery novel with little-to-no romance in it. She only looked up when she heard the old television click off. Godric was no longer on the couch. For a moment, she was worried, but then, he would not have left if it were any sort of danger. Which left only one thing.

The knock on her door did not surprise her, but she had half expected him to just waltz in. She was looking up even before she opened the door for Area Five's Sheriff. Eric was one of the few vampires in the world that Godric left her alone with. She may have been angry at the Viking, but she had not rescinded his invitation.

"Can we talk?" He remained outside, giving her the chance to refuse.

She silently made her way back to the living room, knowing he would follow her. Taking a seat on the couch with her back against the armrest, she drew her knees up to her chest, physically holding herself together in case this went badly. He sat down next to her, angling his body towards her. The silence was oppressive. Sookie did not blame Godric for fleeing. She wished she could run too, but she had already done that once.

"You have been sad." Eric said it as a statement, but she nodded anyway. "But not angry." That had been a little more of a question.

Of course he would picked up on her sadness, he only felt her at night, when she had to admit she was the loneliest. Still, it was a stretch to say she had not been angry. "At least more sad than angry." She compromised softly.

"Ginger tells me you did not order a drink." He was watching her intently as she absorbed the conversational 360˚.

"That's true…" She told him with some hesitancy in her agreement.

"Why?" His expression was giving nothing away. She wished she had an idea about his emotions the way he did about her.

"I guess I wasn't thirsty." She offered.

"You drank water."

There should have been a commandment in the Bible: 'Vampire boyfriends do not exasperate your telepathic girlfriends,' or maybe that was too specific. "Eric, what does that have to do with anything?"

"I am trying to understand you."

"Well, you should probably just give up on that one." People had been trying to do that her whole life; her own mother had never succeeded.

Her heard melted when he smiled at her with that twinkle in his eyes. Something in her statement amused him. Carefully, giving her every opportunity to object, he sidled over closer. Then, he picked up her legs and settled them over his lap. Her pajama pants moved up and down as he thoughtfully stroked her legs. She had not dressed for company in her Tweety bird night shirt and pajama pants. Of course, he looked as hunky as ever in tight black pants and an equally tight long-sleeved shirt. It was some dark shade of green that made his skin look like white alabaster. It was incredibly not fair.

"I was coming to the same conclusion…" He must have sensed her distraction. "About understanding you. However, that does not mean I cannot appreciate you. I knew you were rare the first night I laid eyes on you. I just forget that you are one of a kind."

Flattery will get you far, especially with a woman who only received compliments in the form of pinches on her ass. Sookie actually blushed at his words, but she tried to stay focused. She could not get distracted by his incredibly nice compliment, or the way she could see the truth of his words in his eyes.

"Eric, we still need to talk."

"I believe that is my line, lover."

The way that word rolled off his tongue sent a delightful chill down her spine, but she took a deep breath and concentrated, carefully not looking in his amused eyes.

"You don't trust me." Sookie went with the direct approach.

"Trust is a two-way street." He seemed pleased with his modern turn of phrase. She had been expected the cliché of how he trusted her, he just did not trust everyone else, so his response took her by surprise.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You say I do not trust you, but when I tell you that one of my own is dangerous to your well-being, you decide to make friends with him." She was looking into his eyes now, and they were not amused.

She realized that her mouth was hanging open. She had made a mental list over the last couple days of his offenses, but she had not really considered her own. Sookie had not thought she had any. The sheriff had caught her.

"Okay, I see what you are saying, but…" She stopped there not actually able to come up with a 'but.'

"Sookie, I tell you these things, things about my world that are not usually shared with humans, because I trust you, but when you ignore what I tell you, you are throwing that trust back in my face."

She winced visibly. Of course, he had told her about vampire politics, but she had not realized what a big deal that was. She should have, of course. "I don't take orders well." She offered that up as some sort of sheepish excuse.

"I have noticed." His grin was wry as he pulled her face up towards his with a gentle finger under her chin. "You already know I am used to being obeyed. Even the few human women I have been with have been happy to heed me as long as they were well-kept."

"Eric!"

He spoke up quickly before she could voice any more of her indignation. "I know now that you are not like those women, but that has been my experience thus far."

They sat there staring at each other.

"So, where does that leave us?"

"Will you agree that my knowledge of the supernatural world exceeds your own? That, perhaps, my advice in this area _should_ be heeded."

"Yes…" It was tentatively given, with an addendum quickly tacked on. "If you agree that I am my own person, and it is my decision to make."

"As long as you realize I will not always be happy with that decision." This was quite a negotiation. "I only want what is best for you." She actually cringed as she recalled Godric's words from earlier that week.

"Is that true, Eric?" She hated having to ask, but she needed to know the truth.

He did not reply for a moment, obviously thinking over his words carefully. "I know that you are an independent woman, but in the vampire world, you are mine. My position, my power is what keeps you safe, what keeps you living in your own house, working in your bar, rather than at the side of whatever monarch found you first." She had known as much in a much more cerebral way, though he had never said it quite so explicitly. The thought worried her. Sookie found she was holding her breath. "I will not lie to you. I value my own safety most of all, all vampires do, but what keeps _me_ safe, keeps _you_ safe. As long as you are mine, our self-interests are the same."

She nodded slowly. Would that still be true if he knew she could see into his mind? Very rarely, of course, and she had no intention that he, nor any vampire, should ever find that out. Eric was still number one to Eric, but at least he was being honest about it. Now, it was up to her to decide if she could live with that. And quickly.

"So, where does that leave us?" He mimicked her words from earlier

"I guess it's my turn to be honest. I don't know if I can play second fiddle forever. I may be different than most people, but I still want to be someone's world."

Eric nodded gravely. "I understand."

"Good. I love what we've got, and I love spending time with you. I didn't want that to be over."

"Nor I."

She smiled up at him, her heart oddly settled by the conversation. After all, she knew she had all he was capable of giving at this point, and it wasn't as if he were holding her back. There was most definitely no one standing in line waiting his turn. Now that she knew where they stood, she felt content. Having been resigned to being single forever, or marrying someone like JB, had left her not really knowing what she was looking for anyway.

Eric placed his hand on her cheek. How such a cold hand could send waves of heat through her body, she would never know. Of course, it could have also been the look in his eyes that had hiked up her breathing. A slow smile spread across his face as he took in her reactions.

"I have heard that make-up sex is the best."

"Seems like I've heard that before too."

"Would you care to test the idea?"

"And here I thought I was the mind reader."

* * *

"Hello Bill." The words were polite, but not overly inviting. She had decided to listen to Eric, to show that the relationship was important to her.

"Sookie." He inclined his head in greeting. "Is Godric available?"

This was beginning to feel like the two vampires had scheduled some sort of play date. For the past three nights, Bill had come over, asked for Godric, and then the two would scamper off like old school fellows, The first night they had sat out on her porch, as if Godric did not want to leave her alone at the house. Now, Godric would not get back until after Sookie was already asleep.

Under no circumstances was Bill allowed in her house. Eric had procured that promise before he had left that past Friday and after he proved to her that make-up sex really was as mind-blowing as people said. She had slept well that night.

Part of Sookie wanted to yell upstairs for Godric as a mother might, but she knew Godric would have heard already. In fact, he had joined them before she could even finish that thought.

"Sookie, I shall be late again." Godric's way of saying don't wait up. It _did_ sound much nicer.

"Alright you two, but don't stay out too late." The vampires did not seem to notice her voice wavering as she tried to hide her laughter.

Odd that Godric and Bill should get along so well when Eric seemed to loathe him. Then again, families did not always get along with the same people. Jason did not like Eric at all, and Sookie did not approve of half the women her brother spent time with, if that actually counted.

Sookie shut the door and returned to her room for some night-time reading and a pleasantly early bedtime. Eric was working again, and she did not feel like driving up to Fangtasia after her dinner shift. He understood, and she understood. It still sucked. She knew life wasn't fair, but goodness did it seem stilted against her sometimes. She took up her book and tried to read again.

Speaking of unfair, it struck her how she was expected to keep her distance from her only neighbor while Godric was cohort-ing it up with their supposed enemy. She flipped her page angrily before realizing she hadn't actually read it. Eric was not sitting the older vampire down for some serious talk, or breathing down his neck after every encounter. Of course, Godric being his maker, that probably couldn't happen, but it still felt like a double standard.

The same page had been open for a while now, and she kept losing her place. Giving up, she put it on the nightstand and decided to just lay down instead. Maybe sleep would stop her brain from working over time.

But then, one had to actually sleep for that to work. Sookie just laid there.

Godric had agreed with Eric about Bill, maybe not quite as vehemently, but he had definitely expressed his reservations. On the other hand, they had not spoken about it in a while. Had he changed his mind after going to Bill's house? Did Eric know that? She could have smacked herself for all the conclusion jumping she was doing, but no matter how tired her body was, her mind was on some sort of adrenaline rush.

After all, in her experience, vampires rarely did anything with a single motive in mind. It made sense that Eric would know about their talks. Maybe Eric had asked Godric to spy for him. Sookie found it unlikely that Godric would have put forth that idea.

Her sheets clung to her frame as she turned over violently in agitation. This was ridiculous. Finally, she resolved to talk to Godric about it the next day. It was clear she wasn't going to sleep until she had some plan of action, and she couldn't very well traipse across the cemetery and demand he tell her now. Trying to stay awake to ask him felt too much like an inquisition, so she just laid there until she finally succumbed to unconsciousness.

* * *

In Bon Temps, Fall could be just as warm as Summer, but those days were quickly passing. Sookie had tried to lay out, make her famous tan last just a bit longer, but it was just too chilly. She even tried to do some yard work to keep the blood flow up, but it didn't help. In the end, she had reluctantly hung up her bikini for the season. Eric would be sad; he said she smelled like sunlight.

Sookie was a little sad herself. It was hard for her to imagine living only at night. There was little she liked better than being out in the open air, soaking up the sun. She knew it was bad for her, but she was taking a page from Rizzo. There were definitely worse things she could do.

Still, the growing cold brought some good points along with it. The nights were growing longer, which meant more time with Eric (when he was available). And on this particular night, less time she had to wait before Godric was up and about.

The last of her dinner dishes were soaking when she heard him begin to stir. Hidey-holes, as she called them, were a closely guarded secret in the vampire world. She knew it was somewhere in her house, and Eric had assured her it wasn't in her room, her only stipulation. However, she never asked him to confirm the location out of respect. Wherever it was, the thing was well concealed, she had not noticed anything different in her house.

She told herself to act naturally. Sookie didn't want this to come out as some sort of accusation; she was just curious. She had already decided that this did not count as not trusting Eric. After all, her boyfriend might not even have anything to do with any of it. Godric may have moved in after Eric talked to him about it, but it had definitely been of his own volition. Godric had all the power in that relationship, even if he chose not to use it.

Sookie popped a synthetic blood in the microwave to start warming for him. Godric cleared his throat unnecessarily as he came in. He knew she did not like to be surprised, and he moved so quietly, only the opening of doors ever gave him away. Only, there was no door to the kitchen, just an open entrance way.

"Good evening Godric." She finished cleaning the plate that had once held a BLT. That had probably been the last good tomato she would get for a while.

"Hello Sookie. How was your day?"

"Pretty uneventful, which was nice." She smiled at him, drying her hands and retrieving the bottle of blood. No real point in asking him how he slept.

"Thank you." He shook it up for himself.

"You got any plans with Bill tonight?" It seemed like a reasonable question.

"I do not believe so. He mentioned he needed to do some actual work tonight."

"Oh, I didn't realize he had a job." They began to naturally migrate to the living room, an oddly domestic vampire and telepath.

"It pertains to whatever work he does for the Queen. Bill is quite secretive about that." They sat on opposite ends of the couch.

"Sounds top-secret. I bet Eric would kill to know what it is." Not her best choice of words. Godric lifted his eyebrows as she had seen Eric do so often. "You know what I mean."

"Yes, you are, perhaps, more correct than you intended."

Not exactly the greatest opening, but she would take what she could get at this point. "So, what do you two even talk about?" It was a natural enough curiosity.

"History, or more precisely the vampire version of anthropology."

"What's that? We didn't have 'anthropology' at my high school." Maybe it was one of those college things she had missed out on.

"Anthropology is the study of human life, social interactions, hierarchies. Vampires tend to study it." The implications of that made her shiver, like a lion taking a class on gazelle habits. Pam had told her how she read 'Dear Abby,' it was probably the same thing. "He is much more interested in those I have known than the events I have seen."

"Oh…" That seemed weird for a self-proclaimed history buff. "Does he ask about me?" And nonchalance went right out the window.

"Sometimes." He was not looking at her, but she did not know what that meant. Was he being elusive, or was he angry at her questions?

"That's all you're gonna give me? Seriously?"

When he turned towards her again, he actually looked amused at her incredulity. "He does not ask after you more than would be normal for a telepath dating his Sheriff, who I happen to stay with. You are an exceptional case."

_Exceptional meaning weird_, she corrected him mentally. " Makes sense."

"Sookie, is something bothering you?"

"I don't know."

"I have told him nothing beyond what is common knowledge, and Eric is fully aware of my interactions." Maybe he had taken a course or two in anthropology. Godric was picking up a lot that she did not want him to.

"Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer." She spoke the words softly.

"My son also said something to that effect."

"Can't say I'm surprised."

Godric's silences were usually as significant as his words. The one now had her holding her breath. It was like he was piecing together her line of questioning and coming to a bad conclusion. "Sookie, you do understand that I would never do anything to endanger or harm you? You have given my existence purpose once again, and I will protect yours with everything I have."

She just stared at him. Those had been the words she wanted from Eric more than anything, too bad she felt nothing for Godric past a strong sense of kinship. "I didn't mean to make it seem like I don't trust you." It was her week for this. "I just feel out of the loop."

"I do not understand this phrase."

"I feel like everyone is talking to everyone else without ever telling me what is going on."

"Ah, I see." She wondered if he was filing away that wording. "Vampires are not the best at sharing their plans. Beyond the bond between a vampire and his maker, ours is not a trusting species. We become too used to keeping things to ourselves lest our plans reach the wrong ears. Words never spoken need not be unsaid."

"The vampire motto, I suppose." She rolled her eyes.

"In a way." He smiled at her annoyance with his kind. "I will do my best to keep you informed as much as is safe for you to know." The final clause did not go unnoticed, but then, she wasn't telling them everything either. It only seemed fair.

"All we currently know you have probably already heard. Bill is working on something for the Queen, and judging by his house, it is something that requires computers." He spoke the final word as if it were particularly unappetizing.

Sookie found it sad that the vampires around her were more technologically advanced that she was. The Stackhouse residence did not even boast a single computer. Eric had not only bought her a cell phone, but Pam had taught her how to text. Only Godric possessed that abhorrence of new technology that she would have thought would be pervasive in the vampire community. However, she did wish he would get over it when it came to the microwave. It was lucky he didn't require much blood.

"I wonder what the Queen could want with computers." She honestly did not have any idea what their capabilities were, but she knew they were pretty vast.

"I could not say. He is as careful about that as I am with speaking of you."

"Does it bother you? Telling Eric what he tells you?"

"He is aware that Eric is my child, and I know he works for the Queen. No doubt my words are also repeated."

"Eric keeps telling me how complicated things are for y'all, but I guess I just don't get it sometimes. I can't imagine what it must be like to always have to think about what I say because it is going to be repeated."

"Are humans truly that different?" Godric may have held the human race in higher esteem than most vampires, but he did not have any misconceptions about them.

Forget being a telepath, just hearing gossip at the bar for years made her fully equipped to answer this question. "I suppose not. Though backstabbing isn't usually quite so literal to humans."

"You make a valid point." She had to laugh about the fact that they were making light of the dangerous world that vampires lived in, a world she had a large part in. She had to laugh, or live in fear. Laughter was much more healthy.

"How about a movie tonight?" Godric offered. Maybe her laughter had been a little too on the edge because he was trying to change the subject, which was fine with her.

Her housemate was kind of like her stand-in boyfriend. Of course, that was without the cuddling… or sex. So not really like her boyfriend at all, but he _was_ good company.

"Sounds good to me. What'll it be? Action, comedy, romance?"

"How about that 'Dracula: Dead and Loving it' you told me about?"

"A fine choice!"

Godric may have hated the microwave, but he loved the TV.

* * *

At least it looks like Bill won't be creating any more problems... or will he? *Bum, bum, bum*

**I always love reviews, even if you want to tell me what you see wrong with all this. **


	6. Chapter 6

This is going to be a short chapter, apologies ahead of time. The good news, is the action is about to start up, so no more of this slow set-up.

Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris/Alan Ball own most of the ideas here, I'm just changing the details...

* * *

It was odd to have time pass in Bon Temps much as it had before Vampires came to visit. Sookie had become accustomed to the action that seemed to surround the Supes, and Eric had been so sure about Bill being bad news, that Sookie lived for weeks just waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it didn't, she finally began to relax.

Granted, the Southern vampire did not come over to visit quite as often, but that hardly spoke of mischief. There had been no threats, no unexplained deaths, and no odd supernatural creatures roaming the neighborhood. A telepath could certainly get used to that kind of peace.

This particular telepath sat out on her porch in her pajamas enjoying the cool night air. The days were not quite sweater worthy yet, but the nights could get fairly cold. She had brought along a steaming cup of hot chocolate to ward away frosty fingers. Sookie's mind was openly wandering. She could not leave herself unshielded like that anywhere else, but her house, with only the void of her vampire roommate, was safe.

That's how she knew another vampire was approaching even before Bill stepped into the light from her porch floods. She sat still, taking another sip of her drink. It wasn't that she was ignoring Eric's warning; it was simply that Bill could easily stop her from making it to the doorway if he intended her harm, so why waste the effort on a perfectly lovely evening. Vampires were, at the very least, good at causing people to come to grip with their own human frailty.

"Good evening Bill."

"Good evening Sookie." He took a seat casually on one of the rocking chairs near her swinging bench. Gran had loved that one so much, marks were worn in the porch beneath it. "I feel as though you have been avoiding me."

It was a very fair assessment, but she was not about to tell him that. "You're one to talk. I thought Godric was going to have to head over any night now to make sure you were still… with us." She had almost said 'among the living,' but that would have been in bad taste.

"I suppose I have been rather busy with work." A short, sharp laugh preceded his statement.

Bill wore the strangest expression. It was not threatening, but it did worry Sookie. After all, Bill was not big on expression anyway, so this sort of melancholy was very out of place. Brooding vampires were much scarier than movies made them seem.

"Godric is just inside, want me to get him?" It may have sounded a little overly chipper, but that was her go-to.

As if on cue, Godric came out to join them on the porch. He must have heard the strain in Sookie's voice, but he acted normally, leaning against the rail in front of Bill.

"Hello Bill."

"Godric."

There was an awkward silence while Bill looked at the wooden planks under his feet, and Godric stared at the top of Bill's head. Sookie was just about to start in on the inane chatter when Bill finally spoke up.

"I really just came over to let you all know that I will probably be going away for a while."

"Like on vacation, or for work?" Sookie tried to clarify. Vampires could be master of vague.

"Something like that."

She decided against informing him that had been an 'or' question, which did not call for agreement but for detail. Instead, she tried a different question. "When will you be back?"

Godric was silent, which meant that she needed to fill that space with sound.

"I don't actually know." Bill looked as if he were struggling with something. "It has been a pleasure getting to know you both. I hope to see you all again."

And with that he was gone, the squeak of the swaying rocking chair made more noise than he did. Godric could have stopped him had he wanted to, but he made no move until Sookie reached out to still the chair. He looked at her as if she might hold some answer to a question he never asked aloud.

"That was weird, right?" She needed some sort of confirmation that, even by vampire standards, that was odd behavior.

"Indeed." Godric turned to look out towards where Bill had disappeared. "I hate to ask this of you."

"What?" She prompted at his pause. Godric very rarely asked anything of her.

"Would you be willing to go inside for the remainder of the night?" He had not looked back at her.

"Is everything alright?"

"Erratic behavior in a vampire concerns me, especially one as controlled as Bill." He looked at her finally. "You are welcome to accompany to Fangtasia, but I believe you have the lunch shift tomorrow, and I really must speak with Eric about this as soon as possible."

She could stay up, but she would be sorry in the end. Her conscience would never allow her to call in sick just because she stayed up late to see her boyfriend. "Will you let me know what y'all figure out?"

"Of course."

"I was going to bed here soon anyway, I will just make an early night of it. Tell Eric I miss him." She felt a little silly having a centuries-old vampire play messenger boy, but he was getting to see his son and she wasn't.

"I shall pass along the sentiment. And I am certain he feels the same way."

Sookie finished her last swig of hot chocolate and got up from the swing.

"Night Godric, I will see you tomorrow."

"Sleep well Sookie."

She knew instinctively that Godric would wait to leave until he was assured she was safely inside. She patted him on the arm as she moved past and went in the door. As soon as the lock clicked closed on her door, she felt him fly away. He would either stay with Eric or use the key she had gotten him to get back in. If he was worried, her door was staying locked.

* * *

Days like the one Sookie had just endured made her question why she still worked at Merlotte's. She did not actually _need_ the money anymore, but she knew why.

Besides the fact that Sam was her best friend (and depended on her), every cent she made there was going into a saving's account which was becoming quite well padded. Even more than that, she needed the interaction. Not only would she go crazy without something useful to do while her vampire boyfriend slumbered or ran his own bar, but also if she remained detached from regular humans, cooped up in her own house, every time that she went to Church or the grocery store, she would be overwhelmed by the thoughts of those around her. She had gotten so good with her shields recently, she didn't want to screw that up now.

All that was hard to remember after she had just finished working a surprise double when one of Arlene's kids came down with the flu. At least tips had been decent for a weeknight.

Godric had shown up after dark and warned off a few rowdy frat boys who were slumming it. Sam had not minded since they weren't likely to be repeat business. In fact, her Shifter boss had been about to leap the bar when Godric stepped in. Sam did not allow people to get handsy with his waitresses. Really, it was lucky for poor Rick that it was Godric who grabbed his hand. Had Eric been there, Sam might have had to step in to save frat boy Rick instead.

Her housemate had walked her out to her car but turned down the offer of a ride home. He had always been weird about cars, but that was excessive. His promise to see her at home still left her feeling a little snubbed.

Of course, he beat her there, she could feel him waiting in the living room to talk. At the front door, she shucked off her shoes, toes wiggling happily at their new found freedom. When she finally walked through to the living room, it was not Godric sitting on her couch. It was a rather tall, rather blond, rather gorgeous vampire, whom she had not seen in days.

Her face lit up. No one loves a good surprise like a telepath. She kind of skipped/ran over to him, ignoring the protests of her feet. He reached up to her as she collapsed against his chest.

"I heard you were missing me."

She nodded, the material of his t-shirt bunching up with her movement.

"I could not have you forgetting about me, so I took the night off. Pam believes you may be a witch."

"Wait… are there such things as witches?" Once you accept the existence of vampires, werewolves, ancient goddesses of insanity, and whatever Dr. Ludwig was, nothing seemed _that_ far-fetched.

"Of course."

"I never really thought about it."

"Most humans don't."

"So, are you here to tell me what is going on?" She asked excitedly.

"Wouldn't you rather take a bath?"

Actually, that sounded absolutely amazing, soaking in hot water with Eric covered in nothing but bubbles… she had to quickly stamp out that line of thinking as she realized her breathing rate had increased and her hand was balling up Eric's shirt. Instead, she separated herself from him and scooted back on the couch.

"Not until I know what you two talked about. You know Godric will tell me, so why not just tell me now then we can take that bath and still have time left over for more once we are all clean and wet?"

"Miss Stackhouse, are you using sex as a bargaining chip?"

"Of course not, I am simply explaining how it's gonna be." She tried for what passed as coy, and Eric seemed to appreciate it.

"You are a ruthless woman." He informed her, though his eyes told her he found that incredibly attractive.

"So?"

He looked for a moment as if he might try to renegotiate terms, but he sighed after a moment and began talking. "We do not know why Bill has left. Godric checked earlier, and he is indeed gone. We are also not sure _where_ he has gone. What we have found out is that his departure does not seem to be under order from the Queen."

Sookie nodded. She knew Bill worked for the Queen, so if he had left without a 'by your leave' from her, it probably wasn't going to go over well.

Eric looked pleased that she was paying attention. "We have had to be very careful with this. It is still within the realm of possibility that it was a secret order from her that did not go through official channels, but we cannot ask her directly without raising suspicion. Bill is under her protection while he works, and I am not allowed to investigate him without Sophie-Ann's express permission."

"Could this be a test to see if you are sneaking behind her back or something?"

Eric smiled at her as if she were his star pupil. "That is definitely a possibility, which is why nothing we have done has been official or easily traced. Godric went over to Bill's house, as he has often done before, and our inquiries were made through back channels who would not want it known they were giving information much less who they were giving it to."

"What's she going to do if he did go off without her permission?"

"That is the important question. If this is a test, we will appear to pass and things will return to normal. However, no one has been able to find out what Bill was working on for the Queen, which means it is probably important."

"So, she'll want him back."

"Most likely."

"That's not good for us, is it?" She looked down at her hands, curled up in her lap.

"We will deal with that, if necessary, when it comes up." He took her hands in his own. "For now, we have done all we can."

There was not much else she could do. "Alright." Sookie was proud it sounded much more steady than she felt. Eric had said the Queen would require her if it came to the security of the State, did this qualify?

"Now, someone promised me a bath." He crawled across the couch in an attractively primal sort of way until his body overshadowed her own. "Do you intend to break that promise?"

Now, _that_ was a good way to get worry to just fly right out the window. When a man as attractive as Eric looks at someone like he was looking at Sookie, a body can feel nothing besides longing. "No, but I do have every intention of making it worth your wait."

"It is always worth the wait with you."

* * *

A couple days had passed with no sign of Bill. Unfortunately, that did not mean that time had been uneventful. Sookie sat in Eric's office with Godric to deliver some bad news.

"Bill's house was broken into yesterday. His computers were stolen." They had agreed to leave his house as it was as to not raise any suspicions.

"When you say yesterday…"

"I had gone the night previous and returned at Sunset. Yes, I believe it was during the day."

"That rules out a vampire." Sookie spoke aloud what they were all thinking.

"However, I believe I smelled werewolf." Godric had already told Sookie that, but Eric looked as surprised as he ever looked.

It could have been random. After all, vampires and werewolves did not get along, so one stealing from the other didn't seem that far-fetched. The only reason Eric and Alcide had any dealings with each other whatsoever is that Alcide owed Eric for clearing his father's debt.

However, Weres knew better than most how dangerous it could be to cross a vampire. Sookie very much doubted that any Were would be dumb enough to walk into a vampire's house and steal his stuff, even during the day, unless he already knew the vampire wasn't there. Eric's thoughtful expression confirmed her suspicion.

"We cannot assume this is a coincidence." Sookie was beginning to doubt the existence of coincidences, but she did not interrupt Eric to say so. "It could be that whoever was there got what they are looking for. Without knowing what Bill was working on, we cannot know for sure."

She knew that they had to be tired of _not_ knowing more than they actually knew about what was going on. Vampires are usually in the know, but it was better not to rub that in their faces.

Eric's business line began to ring. "Yes, Pam?" If Pam had transferred it back, it must be important. "Very well, one moment." He put his hand over the receiver as if they would stop her vampy hearing.

Sookie was pretty sure that something passed between Godric and Eric as they looked at each other, but it was so quick she couldn't be sure. She did not think they could communicate mind to mind. They certainly had never told her as much, if they could.

"I am afraid I need to take this, and it will be a while. Sookie, I will see you again as soon as possible." Sookie was looking between the two vampires. Were they keeping something from her?

"Alright…"

"Let's go home Sookie, I know you must be tired."

"Yeah, I guess I am." She rose unsure and made her way out to the parking lot through the employee exit, Godric close behind her. "Will you tell me who that was?" She asked once they were in the car.

He looked as innocent as ever as he turned to her. "I would assume a business contact. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering…" Sookie got the distinct feeling that Godric had just lied to her for the first time since they had met.

* * *

Bum bum bum...

**REVIEW TO CODDLE MY FRAGILE EGO! PLEASE**


	7. Chapter 7

First taste of action in this story! Hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

Sookie slammed handfuls of soggy clothes into her old, yellowed dryer. Usually, she hung Godric's tunics out on the line to air dry, but if he was going to keep things from her, then he could deal with machine-dried clothes like everyone else. In fact, he could fold them as well!

Godric knew she was sulking. Sookie had made that abundantly clear on the car ride home. However, he pretended not to know why. By the time they got home, she had almost been convinced she was overreacting, and he really didn't know anything about the phone call Eric had received. It was about that time that Godric got a call on his cell.

Only two people in the world had that number, and Sookie sure as hell wasn't calling him.

He excused himself to the kitchen, the first suspicious sign. He and who she had to suppose to be Eric spoke _so_ fast, it was hard to make out anything. It didn't help that they were probably speaking in ancient Sumerian or some other dead language, so it didn't matter how slowly they spoke, she had not chance of catching the subject.

She had gone to bed royally pissed off and woken up not much better. That seemed to be happening a lot lately.

The door to the dryer loudly protested her treatment as she shut it hard. It had been some time since she had ingested any vampire blood, but blood as old as Eric's sticks with a person. She was just a little stronger and faster than she used to be. And despite her somewhat curvy shape these days, waitressing kept her in fairly good shape.

It was a good thing her housemate could not be roused during the day. Otherwise, her rough treatment of machinery would have been rude as well as childish. Days were always quiet, which made the crashing metal seem even louder. The waitress opened and closed the dryer several times to make sure it was still in working order. She was incredibly grateful no one had been around to see that display or to see her start laughing for no apparent reason. People thought she was crazy enough without random outbursts of the giggles.

It had just struck her as funny, all of the sudden, that she was trying to kill her home appliances over this. An entire day wasted because the vampires in her life were acting like… vampires. It was like being angry at Jason every time he went home with a different girl. Worse because at least Godric and Eric seemed to think they were protecting her somehow. Jason was just being selfish.

Sookie knew that this did not mean that she liked having things hidden from her, any more than she liked her brother sleeping around. She definitely was going to talk to them about it, but some times you have to take the good with the bad. Being mopey about it did no one any good. If Gran were here, she would tell her granddaughter to buck up, though probably in nicer words.

She straightened up her back, squared her shoulders, and nodded her head once as confirmation of her decision. It was kind of like finishing some important task. A sort of internal housecleaning, and Sookie felt as though she had accomplished something for the day. It was silly really, that a simple decision could make her feel this much better, but she took Godric's tunics back out of the dryer with a smile, slipping a few of her things in as well.

Her earlier attitude was petty, and she knew it. After all, Godric was paying rent (though she had tried to stop him), and he never stole her food from the fridge or pantry like Jason… The least she could do was give him the fresh scent of sunshine she knew he loved. He had once told her, he enjoyed the feel of it on his skin.

A basket on her hip, Sookie went out the back door. The clothesline was behind the house where no one driving up would see it. Stackhouse women had used it for generations before her Gran had gotten the dryer, and even then, delicates always went on the line. Sookie didn't wear as many slips and undershirts were scarce, but there was just something about line dried clothes.

It was one of those rare, perfect days. The sun was bright, the breeze was crisp, and the leaves were gorgeous shades of yellow, red, and orange. She was glad she could enjoy it now. Earlier, she would have just scowled at it all for trying to ruin her bad mood. With the basket at her feet and pins in her mouth, Sookie set about the task of hanging the clothes. It was oddly calming. She stayed upwind to avoid being smacked by damp cloth and sang an old Shania Twain song. Once again, she was glad no one was around to hear her.

Only, she wasn't alone. It was strange to have another mind so close to her house. She had not heard a car, and not many people walked down Hummingbird Road. Even less traipsed through her woods. Maybe Jason's truck had broken down on his way over to surprise her. He did that sometimes…

But that didn't explain the snarl of emotions she was picking up without any clear thought to it. While she tried to stay out of her brother's head as much as possible, his mind was an open book to her when she felt like reading. Only the two-natured felt like that to her. Which meant that either Sam was out for a run in her woods, or she had a stranger lurking behind the trees.

But Sam was at work, she had called him to the next week's schedule not even an hour ago. Grasping for a less frightening explanation, she thought of the only other two-ey she knew.

Sookie casually took out her cell phone. Women chatted while doing laundry all the time. She looked through her contacts and dialed the number, a little afraid of the response.

"Sookie?" Alcide sounded surprised by her call.

"Hey Alcide, you weren't planning on dropping by today, were you?" Her voice must not have sounded as calm as she had intended.

"No, I'm at the office. What's wrong?"

"Oh, just a bad feeling and someone like you out in my woods."

There was a second's pause as her words registered. "I'm coming." She rationally knew that wasn't going to help her anytime soon, but it was comforting all the same. He was, at least, an hour and a half away. "You have any guns in the house?" She could hear him running.

"No, Jason's got them all." Maybe she would remedy that after today.

"What about your keys? Do you have them on you?" His car door slammed in the background, and she wasn't sure if he would hear her over his squealing tires.

"They're inside. I didn't know I would need to run today." She wasn't even wearing shoes, just some slippers.

"That's fine, Cher. Just act normally okay? He hasn't made a move yet, so he probably doesn't know you know he's there. Just go back inside, alright? Can you tell where he is?"

"Yeah." She put up the last piece of clothing, though her hands were shaking as she put up the rest of the pins. Alcide was worried which worried her even more.

"If you think you can get your keys and make it to your car, do it. Otherwise, just stay in the house. I will be there as soon as possible, maybe with a few policemen chasing me." She could hear his engine and knew he must be speeding.

"Thank you for coming." She could hear the tinge of desperation in her voice. Godric and Eric would be out cold for a few more hours, and two-eys didn't have to wait on an invitation.

"I wish it were under different circumstances."

"I wasn't sure that you were gonna speak to me again." Sookie picked up the basket with one hand, resting it on her hip again.

"I wasn't sure you'd want me to, Cher, after the way I talked to you." It helped take her mind off the angry Were in her woods to be having such a real, albeit emotional, conversation. Otherwise, she would have had a hard time keeping a normal pace to the door.

"Yeah, it definitely wasn't one of our greatest moments, but then, things have been complicated since we met."

Alcide's sharp laugh told her he agreed. When they had met, she had managed to indebt him to Eric, even if it saved his father's business. Then there was the time he had left her alone at the bar and she had been attacked by a vampire, or the time Eric had beaten him up because of it.

She had never really thought about how difficult a friendship they had, and dating Eric had not helped.

"I was just angry because I had planned on asking you out for _real _once you got back."

"I had no idea." The conversation may have kept her pace to the back door normal, even slow. Unfortunately, it had also kept her from tracking the Were. When the dark, muscular man stepped out of the woods, it was much too close for comfort.

"Drive fast." She hung up the phone, not wanting it to slow her down.

She may have tried to talk things over with him, rationalize what was going on, but he reminded her of a man she had not thought of in quite some time, Gabe, just with more hair. There was a large, metallic band around one of his wrists, but it was much too thick to be jewelry. They stared at each other as she tried to make sense of it. His smile made her skin crawl.

When it clicked, she chucked the laundry basket in his direction and ran for the backdoor.

It was duct tape. He wore a roll of duct tape like some silver cuff. She used a previous moment to lock the door behind her. He might get through, but it would slow him down a little. Plus, she would hear him come in that way. Her slippers got kicked off as she ran.

Her purse was on the kitchen counter with her keys somewhere inside. It was a small purse, so she picked it up as she ran towards the front. Her hand searched for the keys, but of course, it was one of those days where her purse had become a black hole. It did not matter how small a woman's purse was, something could always get lost in there, and it was just her luck that it would be today. She wasted a few more seconds dumping her purse out on the floor. She grabbed the small cluster of keys and turned towards the door just in time to watch it get kicked in.

She thought that he was smarter than he looked for cutting her off on her way to the car for only a moment. He was pretty excited over the chase, and she could hear that he simply wanted to scare her even more by taking an unexpected route in. Sookie was not sticking around to congratulate him on a job well done.

Not for the first time, she was thankful for that bit of added speed as she pivoted and ran back in to the house. In a better state of mind, she might have run back towards the kitchen and her grandmother's knives, but something in her kept calling for higher ground. Maybe her flight imperative registered Were attack on the same level as flash flood. Either way, she felt compelled to go up the stairs.

She had a small head start on him thanks to the bit of gloating he had done at the fear on her face, but she had not quite made it to the top step when he grabbed her ankle. He pulled, and she went down. Her top half had cleared the landing, so her hands stopped her face from hitting anything. Her right leg, however, hit the corner of the step pretty hard.

He let go, probably to get a better hold on her, but she kicked hard. Her body was being supported by the landing, so she was free to use both legs. He stumbled back a step, bumping into the wall, and she used that time to scramble all the way up. He started up after her, but did not see the lip gloss on the next step. Sookie had not seen it either. There was no way it had been in her pocket. It had been in her purse when she dumped it, and she had not picked. That would bother her later.

For now, she watched her assailant do one of those flips you see on cartoons, only there was nothing comical about the way his neck hit the step, or how he proceeded to tumble down, rebounding off the walls. By the time he finally got to the bottom, an arm and leg were at a weird angle, and even though he had landed on his stomach, Sookie could clearly see his face. He looked as surprised by that turn of events as she probably did.

* * *

Forty minutes later, Alcide raced through the broken front door to find Sookie sitting at the top of her steps. His face was pale, and he was starting to look angry. His breathing was ragged.

"I've been trying to call you… Why didn't you answer?" His voice was low, but she could tell he felt like yelling.

"I didn't want to step over him." She explained. Her voice was that calm, rational one people use when they know they are saying something ridiculous but really mean it.

His eyes were blazing, but he took some slow, deep breaths. Anyone could see that she was in a sort of shock, staring down at the dead body of her attacker. She was a few harsh words away from a well-deserved breakdown. His anger was dissipating slowly, but she had not really thought of the fact that he would be worried about her. The part of her that wasn't in shock felt bad for that.

"Pretty sure he ain't moving, Cher." He finally told her when he was under control.

She had known she was being irrational, but that hadn't gotten her legs to move. Much to her dismay, she watched as Alcide toed the Were corpse.

"Should we call the police? I killed him you know."

Something about the abruptly spoken sentences had Alcide looking worried. "You snapped his neck then threw him down here?"

"No, he slipped on my lip gloss…"

"Then you didn't kill him."

"So, should we call the police? It was self defense."

"No one will doubt that, but I think if you were going to call the police, you would have already."

"I dropped my phone down there somewhere… not sure when."

"Well, come on down, and we will figure out what to do." He was trying to be reassuring.

She carefully made her way down, staring at the body as if it might jump at her and heavily favoring her left leg. Her right one was killing her and sitting still that long had not helped. When she got to the final step, she stopped. There was no where to put her feet, and he was too big to just step over, she would have to hop, which her right leg protested.

Alcide put an end to the internal discussion by picking her up and gently setting her down on the other side. She gave him a weak smile as he ushered her into her own living room and sat her down on the couch.

"You're bleeding."

She looked down at her jeans, which were probably ruined given the amount of blood dried on them. "Huh…" She had not noticed earlier.

"Sookie, I am going to take a look at it." She nodded as he carefully pulled up her pant leg. A chuckle of joy escaped, knowing she had shaved that morning. That should not have been important, but it really was to her. Alcide looked up at her sideways from where he was kneeling beside her, and she quickly quieted down rather than make him more uneasy.

The caked blood made it look a lot worse than necessary, but it was still a pretty deep gash. "You have something I can clean this up with?"

"All the first aid stuff is in the cabinet above the sink."

He left and reappeared with hydrogen peroxide, gauze and some medical tape. Gran had stayed well stocked between Jason's antics and her softball injuries. He worked in silence except her hisses when the peroxide hit her wound.

"I found your phone. It was by the back door."

She processed the information. "I must have dropped it to lock the door."

"That explains why it was in three pieces." He took in the concerned look on her face. "Don't worry, it popped right back together."

"You do this a lot?" She couldn't help but notice his skill at dressing a wound.

"We tend to get hurt, but Weres heal faster than normal. It's just easier to take care of minor things ourselves rather than go in to see a doctor."

"Makes sense." She watched as he deftly wrapped her leg up, only using a little tape to make it stick.

"Let me see your hands."

She noticed for the first time that her palms were bleeding too, from where she had caught herself. Alcide cleaned those out as well, though he didn't wrap them. Then, he took the dirty gauze into the kitchen with the rest of the first aid items.

He called from the kitchen. "I can call someone to take the body away. In the pack, we have to deal with things ourselves sometimes." It kind of disturbed her that almost everyone in her life kept things from the police. It made her feel criminal.

"I think we should wait for now." She told him when he came back in. "I… I have a vampire who lives with me." Alcide's eyes darkened, but to his credit, he didn't say a word. "I think he'll want to see this."

"Alright… in the mean time, I am gonna go sniff out the woods, see what I can find."

"Thank Alcide. I really appreciate this."

He disappeared into the hallway, and she could hear clothes dropping to the floor. Of course, he would take off his clothes before he changed into wolf form, but she had not expected him to get naked in her house. At least he had the decency to go around a corner. She would not need to open the door for him; the dead Were at the bottom of her steps had done that already.

Sookie waited until she could no longer hear Alcide snuffling around before she went to pick up his clothes. She moved slowly. Not only was her leg officially throbbing, but her wrists hurt from the jolt of her landing. Still, she forged ahead. No telling how long it would take him, and she did not want the first thing Godric saw when he got up to be some man's clothes crumpled on the floor near her bedroom.

Then again, he would have to ignore the leaking corpse strewn across the floor, as she was resolutely doing at that moment.

Her friend's clothes were neatly folded on the rocking chair nearest the door when Sookie returned to the living room. Her small burst of energy was gone now that her task was complete. She thought about turning on the TV, but that seemed somehow disrespectful of the dead guy. Instead, she sat in silence. She could really have used an aspirin, but that was a really long way to walk. Plus, she would be required to pass the corpse.

She had lost track of time when Alcide returned, blessedly clothed, and sat next to her. "Well, I managed to find his car. It is parked down the road, hidden in the woods a little. Looks like he planned on kidnapping you."

"I figured as much when I saw the roll of duct tape on his wrist."

"I missed that…" He was obviously disappointed in himself.

"It's the one underneath him. You couldn't have seen it without flipping him over." She patted his hand comfortingly.

"Any idea why he'd want to kidnap you?"

"Honestly? No clue." She had been thinking about that a lot.

"Well, your vamp should be up soon." He didn't keep the disdain out of his voice this time.

"He isn't _my_ vamp. Actually, it's Eric's maker, Godric." She wasn't 100% sure she should be sharing that, but she didn't want him to think some strange vampire was living with her. "I think you'll like him. Sam does."

"Why's he living with you anyway?" He asked suspiciously.

"A mixture of Eric's paranoia." Which no longer seemed so far-fetched, though she didn't want to admit it. "And the fact that he doesn't really fit in at Fangtasia."

Alcide raised his eyebrows in surprise. Sure, most of the vampires hated having to deal with the tourists, and even most of the fangbangers who thought that dressing like Elvira would get them attention, but Sookie had noticed a sort of camaraderie between the odd assortment of vampires. From his expression, Alcide must have thought the same thing. Perhaps it was simply Eric's power than kept them all together, but then, Godric would never really feel that. Eric had the higher political position, but Godric was still his maker.

"He really is different." She assured him.

"In a good way, I hope."

Night was not quite there, but the sun was mostly down. It still took her by surprise. Godric was capable of rising early because of his age; he simply chose not to take the risk on most occasions. Alcide jumped almost as much as Sookie at the sound of the vampire's voice. Weres are not used to being snuck up on.

"Forgive me. I smelled death and needed to ensure Sookie's safety."

Alcide nodded. The telepath in the room was left to wonder if the wolf could tell how powerful Godric was. Maybe he smelled different. Alcide was definitely looking at the other, smaller man as if he was impressive.

"Sookie, you have been bleeding."

"You should see the other guy." She attempted a joke.

"I have." He informed her. Godric was not the best with jokes. "I assume you know he was two-natured." He asked/told Alcide. It was not condescending, more that Godric wanted to state it with the presupposition that Alcide knew.

"Yeah, I caught that. I know where he's from."

"Very good. Sookie did well to call you." From anyone else, that would have sounded patronizing, but she smiled at Godric. "If it works for you, we shall wait until Eric arrives to discuss details. This way you will not have to repeat yourself, and he may have questions we would not think of." Godric was proud of how good Eric was at his job.

"Is he coming?" Sookie asked.

"He will rise in 22 minutes, I will leave him a message." Godric used his cell phone for the second day in a row. Sookie was so proud!

"I can see why Eric sent him."

"I don't know how much you know about vampire relationships, but Eric doesn't do the _sending_ in this one."

Alcide whistled; it had been hard for her to imagine before now too, but it seemed so natural. Godric rarely said anything close to a command to Eric. Being a Sheriff and having your maker so near was very unusual. Eric had told her so once. It could make things difficult, but Godric interfered so little with Eric's business that it had never been an issue. Godric had always allowed his progeny a lot of freedom. Of course, that was also the first night Sookie realized that Godric had other children.

"He must really like you then, Godric, I mean." Alcide's voice brought her back from her musings.

"Yeah, and it's nice having someone at the house." One of them might have mentioned how much good it had done her, but Godric had returned.

Sookie finally voiced a question that had been nagging at her. "Hey Godric, do you think that's the 'wolf' burglar from Bill's house?" Neither man seemed to catch her little play on words, so she just giggled to herself.

Godric had already disappeared, probably to sniff the body, but Alcide looked worried.

"Get it, 'wolf' burgler? Like cat burglar but with bigger teeth?"He only looked more concerned. "Never mind, but it was funny." She muttered to herself.

"I believe you may be right, Sookie." The ancient vampire agreed when he came back into the living room.

"Alcide, were there any computers or technology stuff in his car?" It sounded silly, but she actually wasn't sure what else to ask about.

"Nope, only a blanket, old take-out boxes, and ropes in the trunk."

"He may have already sent the stuff on, if it was him." Alcide looked confused, but Sookie did not feel like filling him in. Involving him in the werewolf side of things seemed only natural, but once it was about Bill's stuff, they were on the vampire side. Better he stay in the dark. Godric must have agreed because he did not elaborate.

"We should be able to move the body outside now. The last rays of sunshine are gone. No need for him to remain in Sookie's house."

She stayed right on the couch while the two men decided to use the shower curtain from the spare bathroom. She heard them talking and the sounds of the body being rolled up for transport. It all felt as if it were taking place somewhere else since she could not see any of it from her seat. Normally, this would be the point where she hopped up and began cleaning or poured drinks for her movers, but her leg much preferred not to move.

Just this once, she would excuse herself from proper hostess-ing duties. After all, she had narrowly escaped kidnapping. If it hadn't been for that lip gloss magically appearing on the stairs, she would, at the very best, be more banged up than she already was from holding him off; at the worst, bound and gagged in a Were's trunk. Actually, worst was probably dead, but he hadn't had a weapon that she could see.

In her book, that meant she was allowed to sit.

Perhaps the men folk were discussing body disposal techniques, but whatever they were doing, it seemed to be taking a long time. Nighttime had finally fallen, and any moths that had survived till this late in the year were bound to be flying in through her open door, attracted by the light and warmth. Well, any warmth that had not gone right out the open door.

While she was stirring up the energy to go close it, Eric slipped in.

"How long have you been sitting here?" Worry furrowed his beautiful brow.

"I'm not really sure." A few hours had passed since the attack, but she had lost track of a fair bit of that time as her mind wandered.

He took a blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around her, snuggling it over her shoulders and squatting down until they were level. "You have been bleeding." How did everyone else notice that first off when she had to be told?

"Yeah, I got a few scraps, not that bad considering."

He softly kissed both of her palms which felt like they were already scabbing over. Other vampires might have had a different reaction to the smell of blood, especially hers, but he did not even show a hint of fang. The sweet moment was ruined as her stomach rumbled.

"Lover, have you eaten today?"

"Umm, I had breakfast. It's been a busy day."

"So it has, one moment." He got up, presumably to go to the kitchen.

"Eric, I can make something for myself." Her whole sentence sounded like a laugh.

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of you." She had affronted his sensibilities as a provider.

She would have protested further, but she genuinely wanted to see what he would come up with. This could be interesting. Even when Eric had been human, she really doubted he did any cooking, except maybe throwing some freshly killed meat on a spit...

Part of her wanted to go in the kitchen and watched, but that would be rude. She just listened really carefully instead. First, she thought she heard him on the phone, then lots of her cabinets opening and closing, then finally some water running and her microwave starting. A few minutes later, Eric came back with a steaming bowl.

"I am told it is good for your soul." He informed her. It sounded like something Pam would have told him. His vampire daughter was probably laughing right now at getting him to repeat that phrase.

Still, Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area Five, had made her chicken noodle soup. Well, he had heated up a can of Campbell's, but she appreciated it just as much.

"It looks delicious, thank you." She took the hot bowl with blanket covered hands, and blew on a spoonful to cool it off. "It's the best soup I've ever had."

"Good." He was probably trying not to look disgusted over the human food. Godric was better at it. "I put your door back in place, but it is useless. I will have someone come by tomorrow with a replacement."

"Why?" She asked him between mouthfuls. It really was good, and she really was hungry. "You didn't break it." She probably should have just said thank you, but her brain mouth communication had been a little off since earlier that afternoon.

"I am afraid the attack has something to do with my world." His face portrayed the perfect amount of mock hurt. "And am I not allowed to buy you things?"

"Good point. You could just make me dinner more often, I like this." She almost spilled her soup when the back door opened, but Eric steadied it, careful of her hands. "Do you know why he was after me?"

At first, he did not answer, only moving to sit beside her and wrap his arm around her. "No…" It sounded as if it pained him to admit that. "I have a few good conjectures, but nothing concrete as you say."

Godric and Alcide walked in together, discussing Bill's house. They had gone over there after taking the body back, and Alcide agreed it was the same scent. They may not have been best friends already, but Alcide looked much more comfortable than he ever had with Eric. Then again, Godric had never kicked his ass.

"Oh good, the wolf is here." Sookie couldn't tell whether he was being sarcastic or not. Apparently, neither could Godric.

"He has been a good friend to Sookie today and provided valuable information." It was as close to a scolding as Sookie had ever heard from Godric.

"Yes, of course. Thank you for your help, Alcide. What can you tell us about the attacker?" Eric's teeth were clenched together, but he got out the words.

Alcide looked between Godric and Eric, barely concealing his glee over witnessing Eric being told off and receiving an apology from the Sheriff. "Well, he's a pure Were, not some werebadger, and the symbol that was on his vest, it's from a pack in Jackson, Mississippi." Eric was nodding as if this confirmed a suspicion. "I do a lot of business there, so I know the pack master. I've even run with them a couple times when it was a full moon."

Godric had come to stand behind her and Eric. It would have been a perfect family photo had Sookie not been wrapped in an afghan older than she was and been shoveling soup into her mouth.

"Would you be willing to speak with the pack leader?" Sookie got the feeling Eric was only asking, instead of telling, because Godric was standing behind him.

"About what?" Alcide wasn't agreeing to anything blindly.

"I need to know if any of his Weres ever work for Vampires, specifically, Russell Eddington.

Alcide's sharp intake of breath told her he recognized the name and not in a good way. "What's Russell want with Sookie?"

"That is what I intend to find out."

* * *

Special thanks to Balti K for letting me steal the wolf burglar line!

Anywho, we will pick up with this scene next time!

**As much as you may like this story, I love reviews even more! So make my day, review!**


	8. Chapter 8

The ending last chapter was more for dramatic effect (and to get a chapter out to you all), so this one starts up exactly where the last one left off. Sorry if there was any confusion.

Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris wrote SVM, and Alan Ball produced, directed, or maybe wrote (whatever he did) Trueblood, not me.

* * *

"Alcide, could you leave us for now?" Eric's attempts at niceties towards the Werewolf were obviously wearing on him. "We have some very important things to discuss privately."

"I think I should stay." The Were was looking worriedly at Sookie, as if his presence might spare her some bad news.

"Do not try me." Apparently, he had not been _actually_ asking earlier. Godric shifted ever so slightly behind them, and Eric changed his approach in response. "If you leave now, I may have an opportunity for you to pay off your debt to me. You do still want that, don't you?" The vampire sheriff was very good at negotiation, and he knew he had Alcide with that one.

So did Sookie. Her friend's eye lit up, though he quickly tried to hide it. The debt he owed weighed heavily on him, in no small part because it was owed to a vampire. Sookie was a little surprised he wasn't out the door already, but he was looking at her. His eyes were pleading for her to make it alright. He probably felt like he was abandoning her, and if she were honest with herself, she felt it a little too. It would have been nice to have another non-vampire around while they got down to business. Alcide probably would have stuck up for her. Inevitably, vampires were always involved in something dangerous. Eric would have a good reason for whatever he was about to ask of her, the fact that she was already involved enough to be a kidnapping target aside, but immortals have a tendency to forget that not all creatures bounce back like they do.

"I'm fine, Alcide. Thanks again for coming." It might not have been the whole truth, but it was what he wanted to hear. It was probably better he didn't get any more involved in vampire business than he already was.

"Alright, well, I will talk to you again soon, Cher." He was already up, so she just nodded, a little too emphatically. A proper hostess would have walked him to the door, but Sookie just watched him go out the back. The vampires waited to hear his truck pull off before they got into the nitty-gritty.

Meanwhile, Godric came back around to sit facing the couch. Something always seemed so regal about him when he sat. Eric usually lounged, looking more like a reckless Prince Charming while Godric looked like a king sitting for a portrait or a great stone carving. Both had a powerful presence, but Godric's felt somehow steadier.

"Sookie?" She looked up at Eric who had obviously asked her a question.

"Sorry, what?"

"Are you alright to talk tonight? This discussion calls for expediency, or else we would wait."

"I understand, and past the fact that a guy tried to kidnap me, only to die on my steps, I'm peachy." It was more of an answer than necessary, but Sookie thought the situation required a little more description.

The vampires exchanged looks, but they must have decided it would have to do.

"There are a few things we need to discuss tonight, but some details can wait." Eric was speaking slower than he had earlier.

"Very true. For instance, one of the things that we need to discuss tonight is who called you last night when you hurried us out?"

"Queen Sophie-Ann."

"Oh…" Having expected the run around, she was taken back by his straight forward answer, and the fact that it did not bode well.

"We did not want to worry you unnecessarily." The only one with a heartbeat in the room did not miss the 'we' in Eric's statement.

"But now it is necessary?" She asked slowly in return, already knowing the answer.

"I am afraid so."

"Fine, but you can tell 'we' that it didn't keep _me_ from worrying. It only kept me from knowing what I was worried about." She wasn't sure that had made sense, but Godric was giving Eric a significant look. They probably understood. "You should know by now I pick up on things even if I can't hear your thoughts…" All the time, she added mentally, glad they couldn't hear hers.

"I was wrong." She wasn't completely sure if he was speaking to her or Godric, but that was a big admission from Eric either way. "I apologize."

She was trying to remember if he had ever apologized… if he had, it was rare, and she savored this one.

"May we continue now?"

"Apology accepted." She finally said. "Now you can."

He shifted until they were at opposite angles, he must have wanted to see her face clearly for this discussion. "As you know, I am in charge of the vampires in my area. For their obedience to the rules in place, they are afforded certain rights, one of those being protection." She had kind of put that all together, even if he had never said anything. "It has come to the attention of the Queen that Bill is missing and, considering her distress, she was not aware of, nor did she plan, his departure."

That was too bad. Sookie silently held out hope that it was all a test. Vampires were complicated like that. Everything would have been easier if Bill had just popped back up, patted Eric on the back, and informed them all they had passed with flying colors.

Things were rarely that easy in her life.

"We were able to escape punishment for not informing her of his disappearance, though it was a near thing." Sookie had to wonder if that was an actual 'we' or 'We' like royalty use when they really mean 'I.' It was probably better she not know. "She had put into place certain restrictions on what we could do in regards to Bill in order to keep his work a secret, but getting a monarch to admit they were wrong is harder than, well, getting me to." A smile crept to her face in spite of the conversation, which is probably what he had been going for. "And much more dangerous."

"She is, however, holding us responsible for his return… or at least that of his project, which was not among the belongings left at his house."

"Us?" She needed the answer to the royal 'We' question this time.

"You are mine." It may have sounded like an explanation to him, but she wanted some clarification. Her eyes made that clear. "With my protection comes the understanding that you are part of my retinue. You are an extension of my power which is owed the Queen. She now knows she made a mistake leaving Bill out here by himself, and she has not been able to alleviate that feeling by passing punishment on me. Now, she is doubly upset." He said the last word as if it were the largest understatement of the century. "She feels that you may succeed in finding him where others have failed. Of course, she knows about Godric. You will be going to Jackson to try and locate him."

Sookie nodded, trying to take it all in. The last time she had gone looking for a vampire, she had gotten pretty banged up and narrowly escaped some very bad situations, most of that by luck or accident. Godric was Eric's maker; of course, he had wanted her help to find Godric. But why would he ask this of her again? Much less for someone he did not even like? Nothing he had said made it sound as if humans were involved, and she did not get clear readings for Weres, couldn't vampires take care of there own this time?

"Look at me please." She had not realized she was staring off until his hands covered her own. "I do not ask this of you lightly. The reason I kept Sophie-Ann's call from you is that I was attempting to free you from this obligation. Please understand, my survival and your protection depend on the Queen getting what she wants."

"She'd have you killed?"Her eyes darted between the two vampires in her living room, looking for some form of denial. Sookie found it a little hard to breath. That was a lot of pressure, holding Eric's 1000 years of existence in her hands. Godric began to take deep, unnecessary, breaths until she finally followed suit. He had been silent during the conversation, but he was not one of those people you could forget were in the room. Her housemate held her eyes until she was in control her emotions once again.

"Sophie-Ann did not obtain her position by being meek." Eric explained calmly when she looked back at him, which meant execution or something just as bad.

"Can't you… stop her?" It was silly, but Sookie could not ask him if he _could _kill her. That would be too close to asking him to do so.

"I am in no position for a coup even if I did wish to take over Louisiana. Any action short of a complete takeover of the State would lead to my death at her hand, or another's. Attempted regicide is greatly looked down upon." He let that sink in.

"Well, this just sucks…" The difference between the outlook on attempted versus successful regicide was a thought for another less crowded day.

"Yes, yes it does." He paused again. "Unfortunately, there is more."

"More?" She knew it did not really matter when else he told her. The desire for his continued existence combined with the desire to stay away from the Queen's grips at all costs meant she was in for the penny and the pound.

"I will not be able to go with you."

She actually sighed with relief. "I figured as much… guess you better dust off Leif's suit." She smiled up at him; she had been Leif's before she was ever Eric's. But it died away quickly at his expression.

"The Queen does not want to provoke an outright war, if possible, and believes my presence, under any guise, would lead to such an altercation." His eyes held a shadow of his anger, and Sookie was glad she had not been there when he received that particular order. He would have been scary. Most of the time, the Queen left him to his own devices as he was powerful in his own right, so he was not used to taking orders. At least not since Godric had released him. Then again, as much as Sookie could understand, that was a much different dynamic.

Her mind had wandered again, but Godric called her back this time. "Sookie, I will be going with you." That should have been more reassuring that it was, but the absence of Eric felt… significant. She nodded to him, still thinking things through. She was doing a lot of nodding for a Wednesday night.

"How am I supposed to find him?" She asked logically. "Somewhere in Jackson isn't much of a lead."

"We have more information than that, I was simply trying to spare you the needless details. What is important for you to know is that his maker was in Jackson and called him to her. A series of coincidences," Sookie knew all about 'coincidences' in the vampire world but was tired and sore and suddenly very much appreciating his pithy explanation, "leads us to believe that his maker has more than likely betrayed him and is connected with Russell Eddington."

"And who exactly is Russell Eddington?"

"He is the King of Mississippi." Godric told her quietly.

"Oh joy." A thought popped into her head. Sometimes, vampires forgot things that seemed straightforward to humans. "Can't Sophie-Ann just ask for his return?"

"That would be accusing a fellow monarch of kidnapping a vampire who owes her fealty." It all sounded so medieval. "Which is a sure way of starting a war, and wars are very costly." The way Eric said it made Sookie never want to see a vampire war.

"It was a nice thought." She spoke wistfully.

"If Alcide agrees, and he will, we will get you close enough through his contacts in Jackson that you can read the minds of the humans around Eddington."

"That's a start, I guess." The waitress sounded none-to-confident. In her experience, people rarely sat around thinking about the location of the vampire they had hidden in their basement.

"You found me with just as little information." Godric spared one of his rare smiles.

"Yes, but you were not guarded by vampires and possibly Werewolves." She reminded him gently.

"We will think of something. You are a very enterprising young woman." Even from Godric, she was not sure how much of a compliment that was.

"So, I still don't see what Eddington could have possibly wanted with me."

"Obviously Bill gave up your name, and considering the state his house was in, it does not seem likely he is giving information up freely. Which is good. If he remains loyal to Louisiana, then he should be willing to help us. Hopefully, when we get to him, he will still be able to talk."

"You mean they're torturing him?" Sookie had just pieced everything Eric had said together.

"I believe so."

"Oh, poor Bill!" She may not have known him very well, but it did not seem like he deserved that at all.

"He got himself into this mess; you cannot feel sympathy for him."

"Could you have ignored Godric?" The mentioned vampire seemed amused by the frustration on his son's face at her logic. Everyone there knew she was right.

"He could have been more specific when he told you he was leaving, or reached out for help." She raised her brows in skepticism. "If we had been able to act sooner, it would have been better for all. They have had him for several days by now. I cannot tell you in what state you will find him. But this is very important." Her eyes were intent on him to show she was really listening. "It might not be reasonable to save him. All we really need to do is find out where his project is and then you are done." Something must have cued him in that she was balking at that rationality. He hunched over until his face was very close to her own. "You will not only endanger your own life, but Godric's if you try to save someone beyond our help."

"We will do everything in our power to save him, Sookie, I promise." Godric was probably trying to reassure her, but it just sounded like a nicer way of saying what Eric had just said.

It was a sobering thought. Going on a rescue mission with the idea already in our head that you might not be able to save the person was illogical. What was the point of going at all then? She knew the answer: Bill's work. Whatever it was, it was very important to the Queen, that she would value it enough for this kind of risk. Still, Eric had somehow put Godric's safety in her hands. If push came to shove, she knew she would pick Godric over Bill any day.

"I understand." Her answer was not a happy one.

He searched her eyes long and hard, possibly trying to read her thoughts, but he looked satisfied in the end. "Good."

It didn't feel good. She had almost given up on trying to be a good Christian, and this was another point against her.

"Pam is here for the body." He looked off towards the back of the house where she must have been.

"I will go help her." Godric offered. Usually, if he left the room it was for a purpose, and Sookie doubted that Pam wasn't able to handle the weight of one dead guy.

"What was that about?" Her housemate was already out the back by the time she spoke up.

"It has been a long day, I imagine, and you will need your rest. Let me take you to bed." He got up and bent over to pick her up. She had time to realize this because he was moving slow in order to be gentle. Now, it made sense. Godric had left them alone for the night. Between her palms and the ache in her knee, there was no way she was going to feel like anything past some light cuddling.

"I should really walk, otherwise, this leg will be unbearable tomorrow." Gran had always been kind, but she had been a big believer in 'walk it off' as well.

"Sookie…" She really should have seen this one coming.

"Eric… you know how I feel about that."

"I need you in top condition for what you are about to do, not hobbling around with bruised hands. I cannot be there to help you, but my blood can heal you now." It was Texas all over again, except this time she was well informed on the process.

"I can't run to you with every paper cut like some… drainer." Sure it was a pretty extreme exaggeration, but the mental image was good.

"That," he pointed to her knee, "is no paper cut. It is still bleeding, and I heard Alcide tell Godric it was almost to the bone. Now, as soon as you_ do_ start coming to me with paper cuts, I will worry, until then I would appreciate it if you accept my help when I offer it."

"I can handle it." She told him, stiffly pushing herself up off the couch.

"I know you can lover. You have clearly demonstrated your ability to care for yourself. Now, it is time to show you can admit when you need help and let others do it."

Sookie was glad that Godric had left. It would be embarrassing to stand there catching flies while he watched her somehow losing this argument.

"I let other people help me! I called Alcide, didn't I?" It felt like a point in her favor.

"You just will not allow _me_ to help you?"

"I do too!" The words sounded childish even before they left her lips.

"Then prove it." She had officially maneuvered herself into a no win situation. If she refused, he was proved right; if she gave in, he got his way. Her stubborn side was riling itself up to tell him what he could do with his offer, but her more reasonable side reminded her she had the evening shift at Merlotte's the next day. Plus, a long car ride was in her near future.

"Fine, but only because I don't want to be caught off my game while working for the Queen…"

He smiled at her in an irritatingly knowing way.

"And don't think for a second this means you are getting laid, mister." She pointed a finger of accusation at him.

Eric slipped his hands in the air in mock innocence. "I would not dare presume."

When Sookie finally snuggled closer to Eric's bare chest, she had completely lost track of time and had been proven wrong for the second time that night, not that she minded. The man in her bed was the most infuriating, obstinate, magnificent creature she had ever met, and he wanted to take care of her. Words could not describe how that made her feel.

* * *

Of course, Eric had left before Sookie woke back up. It was one of the downsides to having a vampire boyfriend. She would never be surprised with breakfast in bed. Knowing the range of Eric's cooking experience, it would have been a part pop-tart anyway. Then again, she wasn't convinced that any man actually did that. It was probably one of those things they made up for movies.

She was glad to have gotten up, showered, and dressed at a reasonable time because some men arrived with a new door for her promptly at 11 AM. It was surprisingly similar to her old door, though she was certain the lock looked bigger. Thankfully, they did not ask any questions because Sookie had not thought of a cover story as to why her not insubstantial front door had been kicked almost off its hinges.

Someone had picked up her purse and put it back in its usual location, she noticed when went to grab her wallet. Part of her knew it was a worthless endeavor, but she was going to be ready to pay them if needed. It was a comforting thought to know that she could afford it... unless it was a _really_ expensive door. Part of her was right. The men would not even let her tip them for getting to it done so quickly. However, she did notice that she had a message on her cell phone.

"Alcide has agreed." Eric's voice triumphantly informed her. "He will pick you up first thing Friday morning. Please be ready to go the night before."

That left her the rest of the day to get ready. For creatures that could hypothetically live forever, they always seemed to be in a hurry.

Luckily, she was working the night shift. Sam would no doubt agree to not schedule her next week, but she wanted to ask him in person and avoid an 'I'm coming over' moment. That left one shift this week to be filled. Having not put down her cell phone, she called Arlene. There rather one-sided friendship had been rocky as of late. Arlene did not approve of dating vampires, but Sookie still worried about the kids and knew Arlene could use the money from a weekend shift.

"Hello?" Home phones in Bon Temps didn't have caller ID.

"Hey Arlene."

"Oh, hey Sook." The woman on the other end did not sound altogether pleased.

"Look, I'm having to go out of town with a friend kind of last minute. Is there any way you could cover my shift Sat. night?"

"Well, I was gonna go on a date with Buck." She had started dating Buck Foley in last the past month. "But our sitter just cancelled, so I guess I could cover for you." She made it sound as if she were taking a bullet for Sookie, but the tips would do her bank account some good.

"Thanks Arlene, you're the best! I'll let Sam know when I go in tonight."

They exchanged the pleasantries. Sookie asked about the kids; Arlene asked about Jason. Sookie left out the dead Werewolf whose body had been disposed of by vampires, and they said good-bye.

She managed to get a load of laundry done, finish packing, and even make herself a little dinner before it was time to go in to work. She wanted to get there a early to talk to Sam, and it wouldn't be quite dark before she left anyway. She and Godric would have time to talk when she got home. Hopefully, he would have some kind of a plan by then.

Sam was doing paperwork when she arrived, which was never a good thing. It only frustrated him.

"How's it going, Boss?"

He threw his pen down at the stack of papers.

"That good, huh?"

"Sorry Sookie, I just hate this stuff."

"After all these years, I should hope I would have figured that out." She told him cheerfully.

"You need to talk about something?" He leaned back in his chair comfortably, and Sookie took the chair on the opposite side of the desk.

"Hopefully, you haven't done the schedule for this week."

"Not yet, why?"

"I'm gonna be out of town." It sounded cryptic even to her.

"Is there something I should know?"

"Just more vampire stuff, but I got dragged into it proper this time, not by any fault of Eric's." She added at the look in his eyes. "If it makes you feel better, Alcide is going with me."

"I don't know that it does make me feel better, but I guess he is better than the vamps."

"I got Arlene to cover my Saturday shift."

"Thanks for taking care of that."

"Look, I know you worry about me." She shifted uncomfortably. Technically, he hadn't said anything, but she felt she needed to say explain. "But Godric's going with me too, and I'll take care of myself."

"I know you will, and, I never thought I would say this, it _is_ good that Godric will be there."

"Sam! Don't say things like that or the Shifter police will be after you!"

He tilted his head at her for a moment in confusion before they both started laughing. It was nice not to have him making a huge deal about it for once. The trip didn't seem quite so daunting now.

"Thanks for understanding, Sam."

"But I will hold you to your promise, you better come back in good condition." He peered at her steadily to drive home his point.

"It's a deal."

The rest of the work night was blissfully uneventful. Godric did not show up, which surprised her a little, but she just worked through. She planned an early night to be ready for Alcide's arrival in the morning. No one would accuse her of being one of those women you were perpetually waiting on. Her tips were decent, and she went ahead and put that cash in her wallet to have some spending money in Jackson. She hated not knowing how long they would be gone, but she was glad to know it wouldn't strain her finances this time.

Besides her door, it had been such a normal day, it was easy to forget that she was planning on going to rescue a kidnapped vampire the next day. That was, until she pulled up and saw an unfamiliar mini-van outside her house. She was just about to call Eric when she noticed Pam on her front porch. She parked out front and got her brand new house key out rather than make Pam wait for her to walk around.

"Hey Pam."

"Hello Sookie. You all packed?"

"Yeah..." It was obvious the telepath was missing something, but she wasn't sure what. "But I thought I wasn't leaving until tomorrow."

"No, _Alcide_ is picking you up tomorrow." Pam paused, enjoying the suspense more than was natural. "Tonight, I am taking you to Eric's house."

* * *

I know, another weird ending, but it was either that or you all wait even longer for a chapter! I am just trying to make you all happy! WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT?

As always, reviews are a kindness... consider it your good deed for the week! (then you can be mean to everyone else!)


	9. Chapter 9

I thought I would give everyone a happy little chapter to prove that this is still a Sookie/Eric fic, even if we won't see him for a couple chapters. Hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

It was a little silly that she was suddenly so excited, but Sookie had never been to Eric's. Not that he had been hiding it, or refusing to take her. On the contrary, he had asked several times, but her place somehow always seemed more convenient. Thinking about it now, she felt the tiniest twinge of guilt that she had not gone there at least one of those times, but her life was in Bon Temps. Then Godric had come to stay with her as well. She could have made it a priority, but she hadn't. Eric had stopped asking by the time she realized she should take him up on it, and she couldn't very well invite herself.

Now was her chance!

Pam had watched Sookie's face light up at with amusement.

"Can we get your things?" Vampires were all about being prompt.

"Yeah, let me just grab everything." She said as she went through the door.

"It will go faster if I do it." Sookie would have protested, but Pam was already through the door, bags in hand. Maybe she had orders from Eric. Her bags were no small thing as Sookie did not known how long they were going to be gone, or what kind of outfits she would need, but Pam was balancing the items so easily Barry, the telepathic bellboy, would have been jealous. Then again, he probably wasn't carrying bags anymore.

"You really don't need to do that, Pam. At least let me get something."

"I am more than capable of getting a few bags. Now, get in the car so we are not late."

"I'd really wanted to take a shower first." Asking a vampire to wait was always risky but barmaid was not her favorite scent.

"I assumed you would want to do that at Eric's." The blonde vamp winked at her suggestively.

Sookie may have blushed a little, but showers with Eric were always something she looked forward to. She had enjoyed a good shower even before him, but he was the icing on the cake. Really delicious icing. Instead of saying anything back, she just shrugged and locked the door behind Pam before piling into the mini-van.

"Where's Godric?"

"Eric took the night off work, so Godric is there to keep watch over the vermin."

"Pam..." Sookie preferred not to think of humankind as vermin.

"I do not include you in with them." The vampire bouncer explained.

"Oh, well thanks."

"I'll be joining Godric after I have gotten you to Eric's."

"Wait," something had finally clicked for Sookie, "if Eric took the night off, why didn't he come pick me up?"

"I do not ask questions, I just do... usually." She added at Sookie's skeptical look.

"Sure."

Silence reigned in the car as each blonde stared out the front window. Pam was probably lost in thoughts of her own, but they were blissfully silent to Sookie.  
"I know we didn't get along at first." It was a strange thing to hear from Pam's lips.

An audible scoff came from the passenger seat. "I'm pretty sure you threatened to kill me."

"I did no such thing. Maim? Perhaps, but kill? That is too far."

Sookie chuckled at the dark humor. Most humans would have been trying to find a good place to bail out of the car if a vampire began discussing loss of limbs.  
"I was trying to say thank you. This is probably all your fault anyway, but you saved Godric, and now you are going to Eric." Sookie wished she was as confident about that as Pam sounded. "Dear Abby says that you should always let people know when they are appreciated, so... I appreciate you."

It was a struggle not to laugh at the serious sounding yet silly statement, but manners won out. Pam was being sincere for once, and Sookie did not want to ruin the moment. This vampire who had once called her Eric's pet had just admitted Sookie's worth in the vampire world. She was just going about it in a very strange way.

"Thank you, Pam. That means a lot coming from you."

Silence reigned again.

"You know I am Eric's second." That particular piece of vampire trivia came out of left field.

"I'm not really sure I know what that means, but I can't say I am surprised either."

"It means a lot of different things, but for brevity's sake, let's just say it is an important position."

"Alright..." Sookie knew there had to be more information coming, but she waited for Pam to get to it.

"Look, Eric isn't the only one with his ass on the line here, okay?" Pam stared hard at Sookie, ignoring the road even though she was still driving.

"I had no idea." How many would be affected by the outcome of this mission?

"Just don't screw it up." Pam had always been better with the modern vernacular than Godric, or even Eric. Maybe it was all the time she spent reading Dear Abby.

"I don't intend to."

"Good." They fell into silence once more until Sookie could no longer hold in the question that had been bugging her since she and Eric last spoke.  
"How bad off do you think Bill will be?"

Pam's pause worried her more than Eric's warning. If the she-vamp was taking this seriously, it was bad. "We hold up well to torture, with the healing, but makers can cause pain in ways you can't imagine." She stopped again. "You will have your work cut out for you."

For once, Sookie was grateful Pam did not go into detail. Every time she thought she wanted to know everything about the vampire world to stay on top of things, she realized there were some things that were better left unheard. If only Eric would not take that to such an extreme.

The human was left alone with her somber thoughts until they pulled up to a gated community. The attendant must have recognized Pam because he let them through with only a nod.

"Do you live in this neighborhood as well?"

"No, we live closer to Fangtasia." Sookie had always been under the impression that Chow and Pam lived together.

"That's convenient."

"Yes, the leasing agent seemed quite pleased to rent out the basement apartment."

"I can imagine."

She pictured a dungeon underneath some old castle. It definitely wasn't Pam's style, but then, it was hard to imagine Pam's preppy soccer mom look meshing with Chow's street bike savvy. This, of course, led to thoughts of what Eric's house would look like. She doubted he would carry over Fangtasia's aesthetics, but then he did prefer to wear dark colors. A pastel had probably never touched his skin.

She did not have long to wait and find out; Pam had pulled in next to Eric's sports car in the garage. The front lawn had that perfectly manicured look of hired help. Not that it surprised her. Eric didn't seem the type to be sweating outside while weeding... shirtless. Now that she was visualizing it, it was a pleasant, if unrealistic, picture.

Pam grabbed her bags again, but Sookie didn't mind. She was taking in the uncluttered garage. Where she was from, people who could actually afford attached garages often stored so much junk in them, their cars no longer fit. It felt weird to see bare walls, and not so much as a bag of bird seed on the concrete floor.

They went through the interior garage door directly into the smallest kitchen Sookie had seen, outside a trailer home. It turned out that people in real estate were capitalizing on their vampire clientele. This house was big enough for a fairly large family, which meant this kitchen would never have worked for a human family. However, for a vampire who only needed a fridge and microwave (and that more for appearances), it was perfect.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Pam set her bags down just inside the door with another sly wink, but she was gone before Sookie could reply.  
"Welcome to my home." Eric appeared only seconds after the door had shut behind his child. He had a pleased smile on his face. Not quite his usual smug expression, but more of a tentative happiness over her being in his house. It made her smile in return.

"Thanks for having me!" He lead her into the living room with its huge, comfy-looking couch and rich jewel tones all around. An old wooden table served as a huge coffee table, and it all fit Eric perfectly. He looked more relaxed here than she had seen before. "It's great, Eric!"

"I'm glad you like it. I have made some improvements recently."

"Oh?" She looked around, half expecting to see sawdust or bare drywall, but everything around her looked as if it had fit in for a while.

"I had to rush them to finish before your arrival, but it is finally ready." Sookie felt a little bad for the poor construction workers that Eric had "rushed." They probably wouldn't sleep for a week from the nightmares, but he was so excited about his secret renovations, she found herself caught up in it.

"Eric, this is my first time here, remember? I can't tell what is different." She was still smiling as she reminded him, happy that he was so happy.

"Then let me show you." He swept her up in his arms, too excited to move at a human pace.

"Eric..." She laughed even as she spoke. "Put me down."

"Not quite yet." He was rushing through the hallway so fast, she caught glimpses of open doorways but could not see anything within them.

At the end of the hall, he let her down in front of the last door, opening it slowly for all his previous hurry. Inside, she could still smell the faint aroma of fresh paint. The room reminded her of her own home, just a little more stylish. Everything was antique and homey without looking cheap or cluttered.

"Oh, Eric!" The bed was a huge wrought iron piece that had been painted white with a down comforter on top that looked like a cloud.

"So, you like it?" Now, he sounded smug but with good reason.

"It's amazing. You didn't have to do this!"

"You deserve it." He steered her farther into the room. This centuries old vampire thought she deserved every luxury in the world, and she knew that he really meant it. Just like she knew that he was enjoying the fact that he had managed to surprised her and that she looked so at ease in his house. It was definitely not a bad thing to read straight from his mind, but it still startled her to hear it just like she would a human male. Her hesitation stopped them both.

"You haven't seen the best part." He had misinterpreted the stutter in her steps.

She allowed him to gently push her forward. It was not her first time hearing vampire thoughts, but usually it only happened right after she ingested blood. The scary thought was that maybe too much had built up in her system. Maybe she was becoming like a vampire.

All these disturbing thoughts took a sudden backseat when Eric opened another door. If he had felt her apprehension before, it was gone now as she stared at the most beautiful bathroom ever. An antique mirror hung over the raised porcelain basin sink on top of an equally old looking vanity. And in the middle of it all, the biggest copper tub she had ever seen. It had a rain shower-head above. A clear shower curtain was drawn back behind it, but it looked as though it would circle the entire tub.

As she moved in, she noticed water already filled the tub with rose petals floating delicately on top. Candles spotted the room for a soft glow. Some might have thought that it was a little cheesy, but leaning back against her vampire, it was perfect.

"Oh, Eric."

She realized she was saying that too much, but complete sentences had escaped her. Instead, she turned around and reached up on her tippy toes to plant a big one on him. Luckily, he met her halfway, encircling her waist and drawing her up.

It only took a few ardent kisses before clothes started coming off. Once she was down to lacy underwear and a matching white bra, he broke away to admire and gloat a little.

"So, I guess you like it." It was borderline annoying how sexy he could make arrogance look, but it worked for him.

She always felt a little silly whenever she tried to do something sexy, but Eric always seemed to enjoy it. She backed up slowly until her legs touched the warm metal. Slowly, watching him, she took off her bra and panties, letting them fall to the floor dramatically.

A year ago she would have been too self-conscious to do anything close to a strip, but the way Eric looked at her would give any woman confidence that she was desired. And good sex was a serious ego booster.

"I'm not quite sure how I feel about the tub," Eric's smile faltered momentarily at her words. "Why don't we test it out?"

With vampire speed, his boxers were off, though he gave her a minute to enjoy the view. Then he was lifting her into the perfectly warmed water. Eric lowered himself in behind her, letting the water rise around them gently. There was a lot of him to get in the tub. They had fit into her own, but it was tight. In this thing, they didn't even have to touch if they didn't want.

But she wanted.

Sookie performed, what she hoped was, a sexy crawl over to Eric and up his chest, kissing the parts of him that were above the water. Judging by his physical reaction beneath her, it had worked. He flipped her over to be on top, the water splashing happily against the high sides of the tub. Her floor at home would have looked like a water spout had passed through by this point.

Human men may have had trouble balancing the fine line between bathing with their girlfriend and half-drowning her, but even as they rolled around in the water, Sookie never so much as sputtered in the water. Eric's arms held her at the perfect height.

When he broke away, she felt him begin working his way down her body, only pausing for a few minutes at his favorite set of twins. Her own hands held on to the curved sides of the tub for dear life. He continued his descent with questing lips. She instinctively knew where he was headed.

"Shouldn't I be doing that to you?" She asked breathlessly.

He looked at her thoughtfully. "Perhaps, but I am the only on here who can stay underwater without breathing."

There definitely hadn't been enough room in her tub for that. His head disappeared beneath the surface of the water without so much as a bubble.

Lucky for the tub, Sookie was not a vampire. Her hands held on to the sides but did not bend the metal as his talented tongue went to work. When he stopped, she could have screamed she was so close. It was his unexpected bite that actually sent her over the edge on the wave of an orgasm.

She watched as he rose from the water like Poseidon himself, water streaming down the perfect contours of his body. Her already irregular breathing had not yet recovered.

Her hands drew his face back to her own, wanting his lips on hers. That was when they really put the structural integrity of the new tub to the test. She was up against the curved back of the tub with Eric challenging the laws of physics with his nearness.

The water moved in waves around them as he moved back and forth with urgency. Whether from his excitement over his successful surprise or his concern with her imminent departure, he was moving faster and harder than usual. Not that Sookie minded, though she might in the morning. The borderline rough treatment was working for her, and she succumbed to pleasure for the second time that night. If she had been in a mood to care, she would have been worried the neighbors had heard Eric's roar of triumph seconds later.

They lay almost side by side in the warm water. It rippled as they twitched with tiny aftershocks. Sookie felt completely content to lay there forever, but she knew that wasn't possible. She rolled over in the water to look at him with a happy sigh.

"Thank you."

"For the room or the sex?" He asked cockily.

She thought about it for a moment. "Both."

"You are welcome for both."

"I think I may need to take a shower now."

His roar of laughter brought a smile to her face, but in the end, they really did drain the tub and take a shower. With not quite chaste hands, they scrubbed each other and toweled each other off before settling on Sookie's new bed. She had never really been on a couple vacation before, but laying there in her new monogrammed, terry cloth robe, she imagined this would be what it felt like.

The whole experience had left her feeling wonderfully drained. She had not realize how very tired she was until she was on the terribly comfortable bed with her favorite vampire as a pillow. Her eyelids were becoming too heavy to resist.

"Sookie, you should really be going to sleep now."

"Mmhmm." She sleepily nuzzled closer to him.

"Please look after yourself. I could not bare to lose you." Sookie drifted into a peaceful sleep with those words ringing through her head.

* * *

Now on to Mississippi!


	10. Chapter 10

I know you were all probably starting to wonder if I had abandoned you... unfortunately, life happened. Things have been much busier at work, and then I spent an entire weekend driving my very pregnant best friend up to a wedding almost 9 hours away when her sister bailed on her at the last minute... Anywho, another fun little chapter. Not quite to the action sequence yet, but definitely within the next two chapters. Expect things to go a little differently at Club Dead!

Disclaimer: Alan Ball owns the concept of Godric, Charlene Harris owns just about everything else.

* * *

An alarm clock went off on the end table next to the bed, though Sookie had never sent one. In fact, she really did not want to get up. Eric must have known she would not get up on her own. Even when she hadn't been seeing a vampire, she had rarely gotten up at this ungodly hour. Still, Alcide struck her as the up-and-at-'em type, no doubt he would be there to get her before too long.

The light streaming in through the window told her that her room had not been made light tight, which explained why Eric was no longer laying there. As much as she would have liked to wake up in bed with him, it made the space feel even more her own that he had given her the sun. Maybe next time she could spend the night in his room, and she had every intention of there being a next time… soon.

Her bags had been brought in and stowed in the closet, including her garment bag which was now hanging up. Her toiletries bag was on top of her larger suitcase, but she did not need it. She had noticed the night before, Eric had stocked her bathroom with everything she could need, even buying the right brand of toothpaste. Apparently, he wanted there to be a next time as well. Instead, she pulled out a pair of some comfy jeans and a long sleeve shirt that would travel well. It wasn't a horrible drive to Jackson, but comfort was a much larger priority than impressing Alcide. She also grabbed a new pair of underwear, not quite sure where hers from the night before had ended up.

Looking at the rumpled mess of her hair, she realized it would have to be a bun day. If she had thought to ask Eric, she would have found out exactly what time Alcide was coming to pick her up, and if she had time for a quick shower. Her thoughts of the tub brought back a delightful twinge of feeling in her abdomen, and she caught herself smiling stupidly into the mirror in remembrance.

Eric in a bathtub could make any girl smile that way, but she still shook her head and got back to getting ready. After all, she had no idea how long he thought it took her to get ready. He might have set her alarm to give her an hour or ten minutes. Sookie did not consider herself particularly high maintenance, but ten minutes would have been cutting it close. She threw on enough make-up to be presentable without trying too hard and found some hairspray to tame the fly-aways from her bun.

It would work.

The telepath brought her bags to the front door once everything was zipped shut again, albeit a little slower than Pam had. Sookie would have sworn they were heavier than she remembered, but it was probably just muscle exhaustion. Between work and a whole lot of play, she could tell her muscles were a little more well used than she would have liked. Perhaps it was time to start working out again.

No car was waiting outside, so she ventured into the kitchen. It surprised her that Eric would be okay with Alcide coming over to his house. She would have thought the Were would be one of the last people Eric wanted knowing where he slept. Of course, Sookie trusted him not to do anything with the information, but it was odd that Eric did as well. Maybe Eric was warming up to Alcide, but he hadn't seemed like it the other night. Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, vampires were complicated!

When she opened the fridge, she found bacon, eggs, sausage, even one of those tubes of ready to bake biscuits. Someone had done their homework on a Southern girl's breakfast. Unfortunately, one important detail had gone unnoticed. Looking around the kitchen (and there weren't many places to look), Sookie realized that the same person was not quite as much on how you cooked the things in the fridge. While cups, plates and utensils were readily available, all she could find was one lonely pot to cook in, without even a cookie sheet to accompany it. Rather than boil eggs, she went with the cereal and juice she had found while searching the sparse cabinetry.

It was definitely the thought that counted, and Eric had gotten the most important thing right. Taking one entire counter was the most beautiful coffeemaker she had ever seen. It was one of those fancy, single serve machines that let you select the size mug you needed to fill. Beside it was a traveling mug she would have been willing to bet had come with the machine. Mugs were no where to be found in the vampire kitchen, so she placed the traveler under the spout and starting push buttons and turning knobs in the hopes that coffee would come out. Luckily, she had known enough to put one of the little cups that held the coffee ground in it, and the smell that was now coming from the steaming liquid made her eyes close in appreciation. It was almost worth getting up this early… almost.

For obvious reasons, Eric had never been a part of her morning routine, but she had mentioned how much she loved coffee a few times. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy to know that he not only listened to her when she was babbling, but that he actually paid attention to what she was saying. That is what every woman wanted out of a man, and she had managed to find it in a gorgeous package.

The stools at the breakfast bar gave her a place to sit while eating her honey-nut cheerios. Any person eating alone doesn't need a table big enough for twelve to remind them. The dining room table was easily as big as the kitchen, and Sookie could not understand what Eric used it for. He did not strike her as the entertaining type, and he certainly didn't eat there. Or if he did, she certainly didn't want to know about it.

As she rinsed out her bowl and made another cup of coffee for the road, the waitress realized she would have had time to wash her hair. Eric had given her plenty of time. Exploring the house crossed her mind. Every vampire who had come into her house had search every room, but it still felt like an invasion of privacy. Plus, she wanted Eric to be the one to show her around. She would just have to not get distracted next time.

It had been easy to forget what she was about to do: infiltrate a group of vampires who had possibly tried to kidnap her. Sookie was not, by nature, a pessimist, but she had to admit that it was possible there would be no next time. The thing that kept her going through with it was the thought that doing nothing would ensure there was no next time. She would not be the reason that Eric left this world.

The doorbell ringing made her jump. Alcide was outside waiting for her. It was easy to tell from the angry jumble on thoughts on the other side of the door, but she checked the peephole just in case.

"Morning Alcide!" She greeted him, pushing away her earlier thoughts. She was going to do what had to be done. Alcide was already in a bad mood, no need to add gloom of her own to the mix.

"Morning." His greeting was less than enthusiastic. "Let me get your bags, and we can hit the road."

She grabbed her garment bag with a small "oof." She was definitely going to start working out when she got back. When, not if.

Alcide hung her bag where his toolbelt or hardhat probably went, not struggling with it all, and the rest of her bags when in the back of the extended cab. She scrambled up, glad she was in jeans this time and did not need a boost. Alcide was already pulling off before she had clicked her seat belt shut. She hoped it was just that he wasn't a morning person, or this was going to turn into one long car ride.

Rather than chatter at him uselessly, Sookie let him brood silently. Usually, when she was uncomfortable, she started babbling, but she tucked her hands in her lap and stared out her window. Hopefully, he would perk up in a little while. Why was it all the men in her life were more temperamental than they always claimed women were? It was a good thing she had eaten before they left. No way was she going to ask him to drive through McDonald's for her.

"I didn't realize you had moved in with him."

"What?" She had heard him just fine, but it was one of those statements that takes you so completely by surprise it requires repetition before it will stick.

"I said: 'I didn't realize you had moved in with him.'" He repeated with more attitude than necessary. Stupid boys and their assumptions.

"Who told you that?"

The Were stared straight ahead without even a glance in her direction. "_He_ did." The 'he' was obviously Eric. "Well, he implied it anyway."

Now it all made sense, or at least, she thought she had figured it out. Eric so rarely did anything for just one reason. Having Alcide pick her up at his house was a way of marking her as his almost as surely as the healing bite marks on her thigh and more much visible. Sookie started laughing. Of course, it had been hard for Eric to let her go with Alcide like these, and he had managed to get the last jab while slumbering. It was impressive in a somewhat possessive way. Alcide's knuckles were white on the steering wheel, and she knew she was pushing him too far.

"Look, I'm not living with him." Her driver exhaled audibly and smiled but missed when she rolled her eyes at him. "Not that it should really matter to you where I am living. You know good and well that he and I are… together." It was hard to put a name to what they were. Dating seemed too silly for someone Eric's age.

"Yeah…" He was practically whining. "but moving in is to… permanent. Like one step away from being one of them."

"Really, Alcide! Eric knows I have no intention of being a vampire." That had been an interesting discussion, and not one she had planned on re-living with her Were escort.

"You don't?" He was as surprised that she didn't as Sookie was that he had to ask.

"No, I like sun tanning too much. Plus, being Eric's 'progeny' is not my idea of a healthy romantic relationship."

"So, how's that gonna work?"

She had thought a lot about that question, but it was one of those things she and Eric never really talked about outloud. They both wanted to make it work, so that was the important thing. "We will spend as much time together as possible, and then what happens, happens. I am happy with the way things are now."

In fact, lately, she had been way more than happy. Despite their disagreements, Eric made her feel the best she had felt… at least since Gran died, possibly since her parents had. She had a confidence that had been missing before, and she had never felt this way about anyone. But Alcide didn't need to know all that. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I don't really feel like talking about all this. We haven't caught up in a while. How are things with you?"

"Debbie's engaged." His voice was cold as he spoke those words, and with them, Sookie said good-bye to a pleasant car ride.

* * *

Her emotionally unavailable friend had finally calmed down and was even able to field a couple business calls by the time they neared Jackson. Usually, she would have considered a phone conversation which required the only other person in the car to be silent was rude, but at that point, she was just happy for a respite from Debbie and her owl.

Once they hit Jackson proper, she was distracted by the new city, and Alcide even provided commentary on the land marks. They stopped to grab a burger as he was getting hungry. It was not quite noon, but already her day had been filled with a couple twists.

"After you are settled in at the apartment, I have to go out for a bit. There are some work things I need to get done while here." He explained once back in the truck.

"That's alright; I understand." It felt like he was apologizing, even though she knew he had a business to run. "So, what's the cover story here?"

"Well, I guess we're dating." He didn't seem quite as happy about that as she had thought he might be.

"What about Godric?"

"He is a business associate of mine looking to relocate to the area." He was much more confident about that part than their relationship status.

"And since you were showing him around, you decided to bring your girlfriend along." Sookie filled in the gap.

"Exactly. With Godric around, it shouldn't be too hard to meet Russell." She felt his hesitation, even though it was a natural end to his statement.

"Oh, just spit it out."

"The club we're going to tonight, it's… pretty upscale, like black tie."

"Thanks for letting me know." She left off that it would have been helpful to know before she packed. It would do no good to say it now. Sookie had packed a couple dresses, the ones she had gotten for her trip to Texas, but none of them were black tie worthy. "I don't suppose you know where I could pick up a dress?"

"My sister might be able to suggest a couple shops."

"I might just have to do that." It was a wonderful feeling to be set up where buying a dress wouldn't break the bank for her. Sure, she wasn't looking forward to the dip it would take, but she could still pay her bills. The only real problem was finding one that fit on such short notice.

"She's real excited about meeting you, and you could get your hair and nails done." Her nonchalant attitude over the dress must have put him at ease. If he knew that Eric was still paying her, he wouldn't have been concerned over her finances.

"That sounds like fun actually." It would be a first for her.

"They pulled into a gorgeous looking 'apartment' building with a gated garage underneath. The gateman greeted Alcide as Mr. Hearveaux and let them through while Alcide explained they would take the elevator up to the top floor to get to their suite.

Sookie may have been from a small town in the middle of nowhere, but she knew what that meant: Penthouse.

He detailed his neighbors as they went up. One was a Senator, then an old lady, and all of them rich. Well, he didn't mention that part, but Sookie inferred it from their surroundings. He opened the door for her to the most expensive, beige apartment she had ever seen.

"It's really nice Alcide." And it was, nothing in there looked cheap or secondhand, but it also looked very impersonal. After seeing the few touches at Eric's house, it just wasn't the same. Even the heavy cherry wood dining table that Eric probably never used fit him, unlike the bamboo accent in Alcide's living room. She would have put money on the fact that they brought someone on in to decorate.

"Thanks, dad and I like having a little home away from home." For some reason, she doubted that his home looked anything like this. Not that she thought him messy, but she figured it was probably much more… lived in, like his truck.

"Which one is the guestroom?" She was ready to set down her hanging bag.

"Over here." He said, looking relieved. "I would let you have the master bedroom, but a few of my contacts will be calling me here, and it has the only hardline. Your bathroom is right down the hall, please put anything in there you need. I've got a bathroom in the master suite."

"Alright." She followed him in with a smile, only a little sad she would not have a connected bathroom. At least she knew he wouldn't be making any passes at her, not after the morning's conversation. "You mind if I use the closet? I brought stuff that needs to hang."

"Sure, it should be pretty empty, but just smash over anything in your way." Apparently, they left clothes there just in case. It was a good idea, you never know when travelling.

The bedroom was just as nicely decorated at the outside, just as professionally done. He set her bags at the foot of the bed and stood there, looking very unsure for a man in his own place.

"You can go ahead and start on your business calls if you need. I am fine getting settled on my own."

"I feel bad just leaving you like this."

"I'm fine, really. I know you are here to pay off your debt to Eric, and that you still have a life to live. He didn't contract to wait on me hand and foot, just bring me up here and escort me tonight."

"Alright, well, I'll leave the number and address to my sister's salon in the kitchen for you."

"Thanks! That'd be great."

Once she heard his bedroom door shut, she slipped off her shoes and unzipped her bag. The faster she got everything out, the less likely it was to wrinkle, which meant less ironing. She was all about less ironing… if two men even owned one. Drawing open the sides, she noticed a golden fabric that definitely did not belong to any of the outfits she had packed. It was tulle.

Pulling it out, she held the most beautiful dress she had ever held. It looked like something one of her favorite actresses might wear down the red carpet, and it was probably just as expensive. The cloth shimmered in the sunlight, looking as though the tulle had been spun around it. No sooner had she picked it up than the coat beneath caught her eye. Usually, she was not one for fur (or at least, she always thought she would not be if she could afford it), but the dark brown of the coat set off gold still pooling around it, she decided she could make an exception this once. It felt amazing as she brushed her finger over it. The thought of a coat had not even crossed her mind, and she would have either had to freeze or where her ugly old coat. A note from Eric had been attached to the hanger.

_I wish I could be there to see you in this.- E_

_PS Jewelry is in your little bag, and the shoes are in the suitcase._

He had thought of everything! Her excitement bubbled over as she carefully laid the dress out on the bed to look over it some more. It was even her size, and if the stitching was any indication, it looked as though he had gotten it tailored. How did he know her measurements? She grabbed her phone from her purse, unable to wait until he was awake to let him know how she felt about her present.

"I love it, Eric! Thank you so much for my surprise! I didn't see it till we got to Jackson, and I can't believe you managed to sneak everything in to my bags. The color is absolutely perfect, and now I don't have to try and find something last minute which probably wouldn't have even fit! You are the best! I love you." The smile was still plastered on her face when she hung up.

It wasn't until she turned to hang up the dress that the smile faltered. Had she just said 'I love you' for the first time… on a voicemail?

* * *

I have had some complaints about Sookie and Eric's relationship. I am terribly sorry if you don't think I am doing it justice, but this is honestly how I see it. I am not going to overly romanticize it. They are complicated people with even more complicated lives which makes for a complicated relationship. Despite Sookie's bloodline, this is no fairy tale.

If you think you know why things should be easy and simply lovey-dovey between the two of them, feel free to detail that to me in a review!


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, so I had meant to post all of the Club Dead scene in one go, but unfortunately life/work happened. I figured it was better to post the first half than make you wait another week for all of it. So here is Installment #1! If you disagree and want it all at once... well, then don't read this section until I post another chapter and you will get your wish!

* * *

The salon had been an interesting experience. Alcide had forgotten to mention that he had told his sister about Sookie, using her code name. Eric must have told him that she went by Pam Smith, as the name Sookie Stackhouse was quite possibly compromised. It lead to a very confusing introduction. Still, it had felt wonderful to be given the "full treatment", while Janice, Alcide's sister, and her team ooh-ed and ah-ed over her hair. Unfortunately, she was not completely sure the elegant up-do and french mani/pedi could make up for having to blatantly lie to such a nice person as Janice.

Not to mention, ample time under a dryer or soaking your feet left her plenty of time to think about the fact that she had told Eric she loved him. If human males went running at those three little words, she could not imagine what her aloof vampire would do.

It helped that she was able to help Janice by getting back the woman's earrings from a light fingered customer. Not only had she done a good deed, but she hadn't even needed to use her powers for it. She just happened to be observant at the right moment and quick on her toes. Janice had been especially grateful as the earrings once belonged to her mother.

In the end, Janice had refused to let Sookie pay for any of it, happy that Alcide had someone who cared about him, which only hiked up Sookie's sense of guilt. The waitress did manage to tip everyone who had helped in her transformation. Working in the service industry, she understood the value of a good tip. With the money she saved on her makeover, she splurged for a cab ride back to Alcide's. There was no way she was going to risk her hairdo on the wind, this early in the day.

However, she probably should have considered her timing better because being alone in the apartment was torture. There was nothing to clean, fix, or cook, and it was too early to get ready. She couldn't even take a nap to pass the time and risk messing up her new coiffure. It was infuriating to pace around the apartment, so she finally turned on the TV. The noise did little to quell the thoughts running through her head, and of course, nothing good was on.

She was imaging all of Eric's possible reactions to her message. Part of her could see him laughing it off, which was bad enough, but then another part of her pictured him sitting her down for the talk. He would tell her that he did not/could not feel that way about her, and that he did not want to lead her on. That was her greatest fear, and the one thing that had kept her from uttering those words before, even when she had been sure about it. Until a pretty dress and some sparkly jewelry had betrayed her.

Now, she would have to face his reply. Just what the doctor ordered, more stress.

"Hey Honey, I'm home." Alcide called when he returned from his meetings.

"Hilarious, Alcide."

"I thought going to the salon was supposed to put girl's in a good mood... it always worked with my mom."

She sighed at her own temper. "Sorry, just got a lot on my mind."

"Yeah, I imagine so." He thought she meant the vampire mission. Why did it always seem like her love life was more stressful than her work? "Well, you look great!" He finally informed her with a genuine smile.

The man definitely knew how to lift a girl's spirits. "Thanks, but you ain't seen nothing yet!"

"I bet." His eyes sparkled just a bit too much.

Really, it was her fault. She should be actively _not_ encouraging him. Janice had let it slip that Debbie's engagement party had been the night before, which meant his obsession (whether he wanted to admit it or not) was on her way to being officially off the market. Posing as his girlfriend during this time was bad enough, she had no intention of leading him on. A subject change was, therefore, in order.

"What time are we gonna leave?" Scheduling was a very safe topic.

"Well, vamps will rise at sun down, but they usually like to get a little business done before they go out on the town. We will leave around seven and grab a bite to eat at this diner in town. Then, we can head over when we're done. Being a weekend, I can almost guarantee Russell will be there to hold court."

She got this strange mental of image of Arthur and the round table only everyone had fangs... "That's good. Otherwise, I guess I'll be storming the castle."

"You may still have to. It's gonna take more than a cute smile to get in to his compound."

"I figured. Hopefully, Godric can help with that." Once again, she wished they had gotten together and discussed all of this ahead of time. Damn Vamp schedules.

"Seems like a well thought out plan." Alcide's words mirrored her own thoughts, but she still didn't appreciate the implication, probably moreso for the truth in it.

"Well, I am a fly by the seat of my pants kind of gal."

"I'm starting to realize that."

There was an awkward silence where Sookie remembered TX, and Alcide probably thought about their non-date night. Or maybe he was thinking about their conversation in the truck about her relationship with Eric. Either way, the assessment that she had meant as a joke, suddenly seemed pretty true to form. Had she always been that way?

"Well," Alcide broke through the quiet, "want to play a few rousing rounds of Scrabble to kill the time?"

"Sure!" Sookie was happy for anything had would occupy her mind. "I should warn you, though, my word of the day calendar might give me an unfair advantage."

"Just don't go peeking in my head, and we'll be just fine."

"Alcide Herveaux... are you accusing me of cheating?"

A broad smile spread across his face. "Just being proactive here."

They were pretty evenly matched between his college education and her extensive reading. It lead to a pleasantly heated couple games that reminded her why she enjoyed spending time with the werewolf, even if he was a sore loser. When politics weren't involved, he was so easy to be around.

It effectively sped up the last hour before it was time for Sookie to start getting ready. Even with her hair already done, she figured it would take her longer than it took him. Boys had it easy. A couple buttons and zippers, brush your hair, maybe a splash of cologne, and you're good. Just getting her zipper up was an ordeal, but she struggled through it rather than go out and ask for his help. That would have been a tease. In the end, it paid off.

The dress was strapless, so she had done her make-up first, a little heavier than normal for the special occasion. The dress fit like a glove, hugging her form all the way down to her knees before flaring out at the bottom. The hem of the tulle was asymmetrical, showing off her kitten heels in the front with only a hint of a train in the back. It felt like wearing golden cotton candy... only less sticky. Perhaps nicest of all, it was actually easy to walk in.

She was very glad that she did not know how much this jewelry had set Eric back. Maybe like she read about it magazine, he had just gotten it for the event and she would be returning them later. Of course, that made her more nervous. What if something happened to them? The chandelier earrings and plunging choker, which she was fairly certain sparkled with actual diamonds, set off her exposed neckline. It made her feel a little bit like vamp eye candy, drawing the eye to her jugular. The cuff bracelet covered up the marks left over from Long Shadow's attack. No one would accuse her of being under-dressed.

It was the second time she had left Alcide speechless, though she did feel a little bad about the coke that he did not realize was overflowing all over his counter. Normally, she would have helped him clean it up, but no way was she risking getting something on her dress before they even ate. He cleaned it up quickly, stealing glances at her the whole time. Posing as his girlfriend was _really, really,_ not fair. Maybe she should have pretended to be Godric's... girlfriend?

"You look... wow."

"You look pretty James Bond-ish, yourself." She tried to keep it light. He really did clean up well, even if he couldn't get his hair to lay right.

"You really know how to shop."

"Actually, Eric surprised me by slipping this in to my bag, so I didn't have to go shopping after all."

His rising anger could be felt through her shields, though why he was angry she could hardly tell. Why shouldn't her boyfriend buy her nice things?

The thought stuck for a moment. It was the first time she had ever said that, even in her mind, and she could have smacked herself in the forehead. Looking at it from this side, it made perfect sense, but hadn't she been balking at that very thing since they got together? Sometimes she amazed even herself.

"I gotta hand it to the guy; he's got good taste." Alcide had finally managed to quash his temper. "Would you like some help with your coat?"

"Yeah, thanks!" She handed him the warm bundle in her arms and let him help her slide into it. She probably could have managed it on her own, but no need to be rude.

Once they reached the open air, she was glad for her fur and closed toe shoes. She never would have thought to buy a coat if she had been shopping for herself, and the air had turned decidedly chilly. Even Alcide gave an uncharacteristic shudder. He was usually very warm, the apartment was kept abnormally cool. Noticing the surprised look on her face, he shrugged and looked up at the night sky.

"Full moon tonight."

"Shit." His earlier mood swing made a little more sense.

"Timing is not our thing, huh?"

"Nope, I guess not." She knew he was reading more into that statement than she was, but it was still true.

"Don't worry, this ain't my pack, so no responsibilities to keep others in line, and the club we're going to is all Supes anyway."

"Yeah, that's good, and I will stay out of alleyways."

"It's a deal."

Her phone rang as they pulled up to the restaurant. Sookie seriously contemplated not answering because she knew it was Eric, but he would worry then. She took a deep breath.

"Sookie..."

"Hey Eric!" She cut in before he could say anything important. Sure, the suspense was killing her, but it could definitely be _much_ worse. And not knowing was better than being disappointed right then. "Look, I'm really sorry, but Alcide and I are about to eat. Can I call you later tonight to let you know what happened?"

"Of course."

She sighed in relief, hoping he couldn't hear it over the phone.

"And Sookie?"

"Yeah?" She held her breath.

"Don't think this means we aren't going to talk."

"Yeah, I know, but now's just not a good time."

"Bye." At least she got a farewell, but he hadn't said it back... not that she gave him much of a chance.

Alcide's eyebrows were raised in question over the conversation, but he remained blissfully silent on the subject when she shook her head.

The diner was not what she had expected. While the people were from all different walks of life, from jeans and hoodies to as fancy as, well, Sookie and Alcide, it didn't look like any diner she had ever been in. It seemed more like a place for the human world (with a few Weres thrown in the mix) to rub elbows. Several of the humans jostled for Alcide's attention whether for business or pleasure.

Conversation was not really required of her, which was fine with Sookie. She had no real interest in making small talk with these people, but she was polite when necessary, no needs to hurt Alcide's prospects in any arena. It helped that she was able to hold her head high, outclassed by no one in the place, even if some of them dripped with a few more precious stones than she did. Eric's dress was beautiful but classy enough that she was filled with a confidence none of her own dresses could have provided. For once, she drank in the envious thoughts of the women around her and ignored the more unflattering thoughts from some of the men. Feeling somehow above it all. It must be how Elizabeth Taylor felt.

That was not to say she was not paying attention. Sookie kept close tabs on those speaking to Alcide, allowing her shields to fall in order to get a solid reading. Not everything she heard endeared her to humankind. Being around vampires as much as she had lately, she had started to think their agendas and convoluted thoughts processes set them apart from humans, but sitting there, she was reminded that really the only difference was how much better vampires were at it. Practice makes perfect. It helped that she couldn't hear what vampires were thinking... usually.

"You should watch out for O'Malley." She told him once they were in his car again. Her dress was pooled around her after Alcide helped stuff her back in. Eric probably had not been thinking of her entering and exiting a truck when he picked out the dress.

"Why's that?"

"Well, mainly because he plans on screwing you six ways till Sunday." When he looked confused, she tapped her forehead with a perfectly manicured finger. "He bribed a lady in your office, Thomasina maybe?, to let him know your bid on some job. That way, he can underbid you."

"Damn." He hit his fist on the steering wheel, angrier than was normal. Stupid full moon. She waited while he reined in his temper again. This time when he looked at her, it was an expression she had never seen before. Appraising almost. "Damn... you would be handy to have around." No doubt he was realizing her worth beyond a pretty face and a nice conversation for the first time.

"Yeah, too bad Eric had me sign that non-compete clause. We'll just call that last one advice among friends" Alcide laughed heartily, but she was serious. It went beyond a normal contract and gave him exclusive rights to her work as a consultant. She was not sure it was actually legal considering as far as anyone who could enforce it was concerned, telepaths didn't exist. Then again, he had never actually mentioned her telepathy in the document. Sookie just laughed too rather than get into all that.

"So, you said this club is from Supes. Will I be allowed in?"

"Yeah, when one of us brings in a human, we kind of vouch for them." She had a feeling that was more serious than he was making it sound.

"How come I've never heard of it?"

"Well, it's kind of private. It's called Josephine's by the vamp owner, but we call it Club Dead." 'We' probably meant the Weres. She didn't really see any vampires referring to it that way.

"Pleasant."

"Godric'll be meeting us there."

"Good." Not that she was going to mention it to Alcide, but Sookie would feel much better once Godric was with them. The car was practically humming with Alcide's nervous energy. It was much worse than last time. Godric was much more... stable. After a couple thousand years, he kind of was what he was.

The street that Alcide finally stopped on was completely deserted. This area was one of those that shut down after normal business hours. Not the kind of place she expected a vampire bar. Then again, Fangtasia was by a Toys-R-Us. She did not like it when she finally stepped onto the curb, the cold seeping past her warm coat. She liked it even less when the car pulled off of its own accord. She might even have turned back to try and catch it, if Alcide hadn't been holding her arm in his. It did remind her of that alleyway.

"Don't worry. It'll wear off once we're inside. It's just some of their precautions so nobody wanders it. Can't have this place overrun by norms; it would kill the ambiance."

He was obviously trying to joke, but no part of her felt like laughing.

A goblin greeted them in the entry. At least, that was the first word that popped in Sookie's head to describe the little... creature.

Mr. Herveaux, we did not expect to see you tonight." When you might morph into the big bad wolf at any moment, Sookie finished for him mentally. Though, of course, she was getting nothing but fuzzy from his head like so many Supes.

"I am meeting a potential client with Ms. Smith."

"I expect there will be no trouble." Despite his stature, the goblin managed to make that sound threatening.

"Of course." Alcide's lips were tight, obviously unhappy with the diminutive man's tone. However, if the Were was keeping it this tight, then maybe the goblin was not someone to piss off.

"Enjoy your evening." Alcide nodded curtly but did not speak again until they had their coats checked in and were seated.

A disinterested waiter took their drink order. For a moment, she thought about going with something fancy, but in the end, went with her usual gin and tonic. That way she knew she would end up with a drink she liked, not that she planned on drinking much.

"What now?" His mood did not seem much improved.

"I don't really know." She answered truthfully, trying not to be annoyed. It was the full moon. She repeated that to herself like a mantra.

"That's him over there." Alcide pointed out, no doubt trying to be helpful.

It would have been apparent who he was even without Alcide's nod in Russell Eddington's direction. The vampire king had chosen a booth right off the dance floor, in the middle of everything. Everyone at the table was oriented around him, whether consciously done or not. She also noticed that every single person at that table, vampire or human, was male... and very good looking. It was not what she had expected, but suddenly Alcide's comment about her smile being useless made much more sense. At least, she wouldn't have to worry about him hitting on her.

"I can't very well just walk up to him."

"Godric should be here soon. Just wait for him." His tone was dismissive.

She bristled at the insinuation that she could not do this on her own, though she had been thinking about waiting for him before Alcide said it so haughtily. She thanked the waiter for her drink, taking a large swig to swallow any angry words that might have popped out of her mouth. It was the full moon. Instead, she scanned the room. Russell had a human male on his right, but the guy was not thinking about the current hiding place of Bill Compton. She moved on.

The crowd was definitely light on the shifters this evening, mostly vampires and their human shadows. Something at the bar caught her attention. Either things were about to go terribly, terribly awry, or the fates were smiling upon her. Not that she believed in that.

"Be right back." She said a little more coldly than necessary.

Alcide probably thought she was going to the ladies' room. He was staring into his own drink like the elixir would keep him from snapping at some point during the night. Sookie practically felt Alicide jump when she turned towards Russell's table. Apparently, you could just walk right up to him.

"Excuse me, your majesty." Her voice was quieter than she had intended, but it felt like such a weird thing to say.

At first, she was not sure they had heard her, but the table quieted down when Russell held up a hand. It was then that every eye turned towards her. Sookie was quite used to men staring at her, but this was unnerving.

"I'm real sorry to disturb y'all." She turned on the Southern belle. Just because he didn't like women didn't mean it couldn't still charm him. "I just didn't know who else to talk to bout this."

"What seems to be the problem?" His own accent was Southern, though a little more practiced than her natural twang. Apparently, he expected humans who were here to know who he was as he had not balked at her using his title.

"Well, it's just, that man over there talking to the lady." Normal humans couldn't seem to tell a vampire from a human, so she left out that the lady was a vampire as she discreetly pointed to the bar, knowing every eye followed even if not a single head turn gave it away. "That's Steve Newlin, the leader of those Fellowship Fanatics. I've seen him on the T.V." And what he was doing here of all places she did not know, but she would recognize him anywhere. Luckily, he probably wouldn't recognize her. Not blonde and all dolled up as she was. However, he was bound to remember Godric when the vampire showed up, but Sookie planned on that not happening. "My date's meeting a real important client here tonight. Well, a possible client, and I'm just certain that Mr. Newlin ain't up to no good. I don't want there to be any trouble that my hurt my date's prospects, and I figured you probably wouldn't want there to be any problems here either. Weres have tendency to make a big scene, especially seeing as it's a full moon." She informed them all conspiratorially to explain why she had not had her date take care of it.

She thought she heard a few chuckles, but they were quickly cut off. "Thank you, Miss..." A vampire had already slipped out of the booth towards the anti-vampire freak and whoever he was with. It seemed they agreed that this was better taken care of by a vampire.

"Pam... Pam Smith. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." She just really had to hope she had not just gotten another human killed, no matter how badly he may have deserved it.

"The pleasure is mine, I am sure. The 'lady' he was speaking with is my second." She wasn't sure if she should understand the weight of that, so she only widened her eyes a little. "You were right; I would not like there to be any trouble."

They both watched as Russell's second slipped a stake out from the jacket of the other glamoured human who was with Newlin. One way or another, it was going to be a bad night for those two, but really, they had brought it on themselves. Did they think they were going to stake a vampire here of all places and then skip out holding hands?

"Oh goodness."

"I also believe you were right about them being up to no good."

"Just doing what I thought was right."

"Then I applaud your sense of moral obligation. I hope all goes well with your date." It was clearly a dismissal.

"Thank you sir." She actually curtsied before returning to Alcide's table. Sookie might not have been invited into the inner circle, but she had definitely gotten her foot in the door.

Alcide's knuckles were white, and she half expected to see the table buckling under his grip. He had been just as nervous as she was, only she was hiding it much better. It had been a good decision not to drag him beside her.

"A little warning next time before you saunter off to flirt with death."

"Stop being so over-dramatic. It was kind of a split second decision anyway. Remember, fly by the seat of my pants. Plus, this way you had plausible deniability, if it had gone badly."

"Not helping."

She took another sip of her drink to cover her smile. She really shouldn't be messing with him while they were stuck here.

"So... what now?"

Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea she was starting to hate that question. "_Now,_ we wait for Godric."

* * *

**Just wanted to say, if I didn't get around to replying to your reviews last turn, I'm really sorry, but thank you all for the encouragement! I really needed that!**

**And I will take it again (or complaints/concerns) this chapter as well!**


	12. Chapter 12

Club Dead continued...

* * *

Had things not been so serious, Sookie might have laughed over Godric's entrance. As soon as he walked in the door, Alcide stood up and waved, looking for all the world as if they really were just possible business associates who were meeting at a bar to discuss work. And Godric was wearing a suit. If Sookie had been surprised over Eric in one, she was practically in shock over Godric's. He looked great, of course; he just didn't really look like Godric. Which probably helped her own acting when Alcide took the time to introduce them. It would only be appropriate for her to be surprised over the seemingly young man who was a very well-to-do vampire, when it was their first time meeting.

"Pam, a pleasure." He kissed her hand with a twinkle of mirth in his eyes. If it was a very un-vampire-like thing to do, no one was giving him looks.

"Godfrey, I've heard so much about you." Just like Sookie's name might have been recognized, they were afraid Godric's had been compromised. Sookie thought Godfrey was a little too close, but no one had asked her opinion. Apparently, it was one of the names he went by over the years. "I hope you'll like Jackson. I know I am enjoying it!"

"The King of Mississippi is here tonight if you have not presented yourself yet."

"I only just arrived in town."

Sookie felt like she was on stage. They had caught the attention of several vampires around them, but both boys were playing their parts impeccably. To anyone listening, this was all just a normal conversation.

"Well, we will be over at the table when you are ready to join us." This must be what Alcide was like with clients, much more proper. A man his size always gave you a sense they should be heeded, but it was now in more of an "I am good at what I do," rather than the normal "I could easily kick your teeth in." Sookie was a little surprised they were separating but decided to play along for now. She could always take matters into her own hands later.

Watching Godric introduce himself was nerve-racking. She knew several vampires, but ones his age were rare as far as she could tell. Other vampires, and even some humans, were usually able to tell the difference. She was watching through Talbot (the human next to Edgington) to be able to pick up more, so Sookie knew when Russell invited Godric to join their table. Consequently, she heard when Godric turned him down with the excuse that he needed to speak with Alcide. The telepath only _just_ managed not to get up and go over there when Godric wasted the opportunity, but then, you didn't get to be his age without picking up some tricks. If she was going to trust anyone, it was him.

If Talbot knew his lover at all, then Godric had Russell intrigued, and not romantically… at least, not _only _romantically. According to the human, this was not unusual for Edgington, who was something of a collector when it came to Supes. Maybe that explained his ability to work with Weres, an odd partnership in their world. Godric was definitely worthy of being collected, probably older than the King himself.

When Godric rejoined Alcide and Sookie, a waitress was already bringing over a glass of synthetic blood compliments of the royal patron. At least, Sookie hoped it was synthetic. It was sure to be expensive, whatever type it was.

"Why didn't you join them?" She asked as quietly as possible, hoping it was not too odd a question for those who cared to hear.

"I did not want to be rude to my host. It was not an invitation for all of us, and Mr. Herveaux and I have business to discuss."

That made sense, but Sookie hoped that they had not just passed up their only opportunity for the night. The boys began to talk about Jackson. Alcide was very well informed on the town and its business, and Godric either was interested or was very good at acting interested. Either way it left Sookie plenty of time to scan and smile. Talbot had moved on from his thoughts about Godric, but Sookie was fairly certain she had seen Russell glance their way a few times. It was hard to tell with vampires. The discussion had helped Alcide relax, once again within his comfort zone, or maybe Godric just had that calming effect on everyone.

The small town waitress jumped when Russell Edgington caught her eye and nodded towards the back. Godric broke from the performance long enough to give her a quizzical look, but his back was to Russell, probably some unknown vampire signal. No matter how wrapped up he might have seemed, she should have known he would notice her movement.

"Excuse me gentlemen, I need to go to the little ladies' room." Obviously, Russell wanted to speak with her alone, so she needed them not to follow. Alcide nodded, diving back into the conversation about available spaces, but Godric watched her a moment longer, searching for something. He looked at the table where Edgington was no longer seated, but finally just nodded. It was nice to know he trusted her enough to make a solo play.

Russell was waiting for her near the restroom hall. It spoke volumes that he was there and not some lackey with a message.

"Miss Smith."

"Pam is jut fine, your majesty." She doubted he would offer to let her use Russell, but it seemed in her best interest to be obliging.

"Pam, then." He actually smiled, and it wasn't the unpleasant, creepy smile she often got from vampires. "I believe that once again we may be able to help each other to a mutually beneficial outcome."

"I'd be happy to help if I can!" She replied, hoping to not regret those words.

"The vampire with whom your 'date,'" Russell put an odd emphasis on the word, "is discussing possible business may not look it, but he is quite… powerful." It always surprised her that other humans could not tell something like that, but Russell had confirmed hers suspicion that she should not know.

"Oh?" She tried to not put too much innocence in her voice. Russell kept stealing glances in Godric's direction, making her feel a little cocky. She could tell he was very interested, and it was going to help their plans out immensely.

"Yes, I would imagine he is quite old, despite his youthful appearance. I would like to be further acquainted with him. Perhaps even see if he would like to join my retinue." Sookie got the distinct feeling that his excitement over such a powerful ally was making him say more than he normally would. Vampires were hardly ever this open about their plans. "This, of course, would mean that he would be free to pursue any business ventures in the area."

"Of course."

"And I am sure it would bring you the appreciation of your 'date' to further his interests." He said 'date' the same way again. Sookie could practically hear the quotes, even if she did not understand.

"I will try your majesty, but I am really just here to enjoy the sights with Alcide." It was an attempt at not seeming over eager.

"Miss Smith… Pam." His new smile was very knowing, which confused her even more. "With an aroma even a man of my… tastes can appreciate, I think we can both be honest about why you are here."

He leaned in and inhaled deeply without any of the usual sexual undertones vampires had towards her. It was closer to someone smelling a bouquet or an especially fragrant wine. It struck her, finally, what he was implying. Sookie was not sure whether to be insulted or happy that things had worked out so well.

"Not to mention, I don't know many Weres who are willing to let their dates be bitten."

For a second, she thought about the marks on her thigh and blushed, wondering if he could possibly know that, or if vampires could just tell in general when someone had been bitten. Had Eric told her that before?

"Sir, a lady likes to have her secrets." She tried to match his knowing smile, playing the part of the vampire enticement he thought she was.

"Well, I will not tell, if you do not." It was really too bad that Edgington was probably holding Bill against his will and possibly torturing him. Sookie thought she might have actually liked the vampire had they met under different circumstances.

"Let me see what I can do with the boys." She told him with a wink that spoke of getting her way. "When I get back to my table, send someone over, and I will make sure that we join you."

"Very good." He went off, presumably to re-join his table, and Sookie proceeded to the bathroom, giving herself time to think things over.

Suddenly, she had an excuse to not only move to their table, but to stay close to Godric for the evening; the problem was Alcide. He was not going to be happy about the insinuation, and with how uptight he was, it was probably better not to have her honor insulted in front of him. As she dried her hands, she decided it would be better not to tell him at all. Russell obviously thought they were being quiet about the whole affair, so Alcide need never know that she was now a vampire escort.

She returned to the table with a genuine smile for the first time that night. No sooner had she sat down than a vampire approached their table.

"The King was hoping that if you had finished discussing business you _all_ might be able to join him."

"Oh, we would be delighted!" Sookie looked at both Alcide and Godric as she answered. Alcide looked downright surprised, and Godric looked… impressed, maybe? It was hard to tell with him.

"Sure, Godfrey?" Alcide stood to go and Sookie was escorted with a Were on one arm and a vampire on the other, looking like a very expensive Supe prostitute. Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, what would Gran think?

They were seated just the same way, Sookie sandwiched between Godric and Alcide, across the table from Russell and Talbot. The increased proximity to vampires was not helping Alcide's nerves. Apparently, he did not remember he had been chatting it up with a vampire all night. Godric's effect on the Two-Natured really was amazing.

"So, Godfrey, Pam tells me that you have interest in moving to my fair city."

"Yes. I have been something of a nomad for… quite some time." Sookie had never gotten a sure answer from Godric on his age, but it seemed rude to ask. Maybe he didn't even know.

"I see." She missed whatever came next when Alcide caught her attention.

"Want to dance?"

The obvious answer was yes. It would get him away from this crowd and maybe let off a little steam, but it also might ruin her new top secret cover story. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why the hell not?!" It was definitely too loud for polite company, even if he was visibly trying to control his volume.

"Do you remember last time?" She asked quietly, well aware that everyone at the table, save perhaps Talbot, could hear them.

Alcide must have remembered because his tremors kicked it up another notch at the memory. It might not have been the best way to stop him from asking again, but it had definitely been effective. It was going to be a long night at that rate. Now, the ruggad James Bond was sulking. While a few in the party gave him glances, no vampire was willing to bother him with pesky conversation.

Luckily for Sookie, Talbot did not seem to mind the wolf's mood. After a few long stares of appreciation, he even attempted to draw Alcide into a conversation. It did not go very far, but Sookie took over to not leave Talbot without a reply. They went through the usual 'how do you like Jackson' bit, and then Talbot asked about her stylist. She was happy to rave about Janice's salon and what a great job they had done. At first, this calmed Alcide down, glowing in the praise of his sister. Unfortunately, he began to envision vampires going to her salon. He was projecting the images more clearly than she had ever seen from a shifter, and she wished he had kept it to himself.

Part of her wanted to kick him under the table, but she did not need him snapping. Here she was trying to infiltrate a vampire's lair, and she was more concerned with her 'date' wolfing out than her scheming. Maybe she could figure out a way to tell him it was fine to leave. Really, that it would be better if he left. That was a little rude.

She did not see the broad shouldered older man approach the table, but Alcide did. Sookie picked up one word from his head. "Packmaster."

"Russell." The Were said with a small nod of his head and a hint of strain in his voice. It made sense that the Packmaster here in Jackson would know Russell, but she was surprised by the feelings of distaste she was getting from the head Were. Considering Weres around here worked for the vampire King on occasion, she figured they were at least on friendli_er _terms.

"Terence." Edgington's voice sounded just as tight.

"Alcide, I didn't know you were in town." The older man had finally turned to his fellow Were.

"Just here for business."

"Well, I'm collecting some of my pack before the run tonight. You're still welcome to join us. Show no hard feelings over you and Debbie."

It had been the wrong thing to say. Everyone knew it as the name left his lips. Alcide was just staring at the man, holding his reply until he could say it without insulting the higher ranked Were.

"Why don't you join them?" Sookie spoke softly, even daring to touch his shaking arm. "It is the full moon after all, and I know how hard it must be. It would be good for you to get out of here."

He just stared at her, confused by her change in plans. She knew that sitting there was becoming a minute-by-minute struggle. The only prudent thing for him to do at this point was to leave. Unfortunately, he could not read her mind, so she tried to convey that with her eyes. They just glared/stared at each other for a moment; she could feel him wavering.

"You have done your part, and I can keep Godfrey entertained for the rest of the evening." The rest of the table would read into the last part, but Alcide knew that he had only been asked to get them to this point. Sookie had never really planned on him being with them at Russell's, especially not on a full moon. He was as likely to bite Bill as to save him.

"Godfrey and I still have things to discuss." He told her through clenched teeth. Of course, he felt obligated to stay with her. Luckily, a large part of him was realizing that he needed to be an animal at that moment, especially after the reminder about Debbie.

"There will be more time for that tomorrow night. Tonight, he can just enjoy some good company."

After another moment's hesitation, he nodded. It felt like even the vampires breathed a sigh of relief. She had felt the tension of all the Shifters left in the club. No doubt if Alcide had snapped and Were-ed right there, more of them would have joined him without meaning to. Without another word, he got up and followed Terence, who looked confused by the exchange, but much more in control than the other Weres around him.

Obviously, he did not want to ask questions in front of the vampires, and Sookie appreciated his discretion, even if it wasn't for her sake.

Now that most of the Two-Natured had left for the night, it was a vampire club, with a few human ornaments. The atmosphere had changed, losing some of the volatility that came with Weres, but the new dynamic was almost as charged, if better controlled. The club had a no biting rule clearly listed, but Sookie wondered if that were being tested now that the vampires had the club to themselves. She definitely felt her place in the society very acutely, causing her to sidle over a little closer to Godric. She was ear-marked as his, even if only for the evening. She hoped it provided her with some level of protection.

When Talbot asked her to dance, she jumped on the opportunity, albeit a little surprised by the request. He was already thinking about how much he enjoyed dancing and showing off for Russell. Who was she to deny him that?

Once on the dance floor, Sookie quickly realized it was more like dancing with Tara than with, say, Alcide, but once she cut loose and forgot about the vampires all around them, it was really a lot of fun. Unlike dancing with a girlfriend, she still had the buffer of a male dance partner to discourage others from trying to butt in. Or at least, no one tried. Almost better than dancing with Alcide, she could pull whatever moves her hips told her were right without giving anyone the wrong impression. Not to mention, most of the eyes that might be watching thought she was some kind of blood hoe anyway. Further judgement could hardly bother her after that.

They danced through two or three songs. Sookie wasn't quite sure when one song ended and another began because the music flowed so seamlessly together. Talbot eventually signaled her that he was heading back, and she followed him rather than be left on the dance floor by herself. As they made their way towards the table, Talbot leaned in to whisper to her, just as Tara might have.

"Have you noticed how it drives them wild when your pulse is racing like this?" He didn't expect an answer, and she had none to give.

She and Eric had never really discussed things like that. Several of his turn-ons had been apparent from the beginning, but maybe she should know more ways to drive him wild. Unfortunately, right now she did not want to drive anyone wild. There was light applause upon their return, and Sookie realized for the first time that not all the male vampires at the table followed Russell and Talbot's inclinations. Even Betty Jo seemed a little more impressed than Sookie thought natural. Maybe she should have introduced the real Pam to Russell's second.

Still, it was Godric she was watching. He looked as controlled as ever, but she suddenly felt a little like a girl who didn't know her dad was chaperoning prom. At least, she assumed that was how it felt. Sookie's father hadn't been there to be able to chaperone any dances. Some of them might not have ended so badly if he had.

When she was finally sitting down next to Godric, she thought he was smiling. He might have even been laughing. She had gotten so much better at reading Eric, but sometimes Eric's father was still a mystery. He had gotten the message somehow on their relationship status because he went so far as to put his arm around her chair without ever actually touching the bare skin of her shoulders.

"That was quite a performance, Pam."

"Thank you, your Majesty, but I only do it because I love it."

"As does Talbot." He was looking at his human with something akin to adoration. Sookie could believe that maybe Russell really did care for his boy toy, even if he was wrong about why Talbot danced. It was true he liked to, but he liked it more that Russell liked him to. "We are going to retire to my estate for the remainder of the evening. Godfrey, will you take me up on the use of a guest coffin? Miss Smith is, of course, welcome to join you."

In her excitement, Sookie grabbed his leg under the table. It was a perfect invitation. A cool hand patted her hand gently, reminding her to stay calm. They couldn't blow everything now. Instead, she just looked at him casually, as if allowing him to make the decision for them. After all, she was his for the night.

"I would be delighted. Miss Smith?"

"Well, I did promise to keep you entertained. What kind of hostess would I be if I left you now?" Godric's eyes widened infinitesimally, and Sookie had to hold in her laughter knowing what everyone else was thinking. For once in her life, she was a wolf in sheep's clothing, pretending to be a wolf. Life with vampires was never boring.

It took a few more minutes before they were actually ready to go, settling tabs, collecting some of the entourage, saying good-bye to those who enjoyed the protection of Russell Edgington. Godric helped her into her coat, but she still felt a chill as the cold night air froze away any lingering beads of sweat from her dancing. When the first limo pulled up, Russell motioned for them to join him along with Talbot and Betty Jo. Sookie felt bad for the rest of his retinue, standing in the cold waiting for their rides, but it would have been very crowded with all of them.

"I do not know what your accommodations are for your time here, but I hope you will feel you can stay with us as long as possible while you are in Jackson. Mi casa es su casa." Russell said the Spanish phrase that she recognized from high school as many of the students in her class would have, without even trying for the correct pronunciation and in a Southern accent. It left her wondering he had adapted to the times, or if he simply was too young to have learned that many languages. From what she could tell, there were few languages Godric and Eric did _not_ speak.

"Thank you for the generous offer. I have a room at one of the local hotels with vampire accommodations." Russell looked at Sookie once again.

"Ah, but hotels are so impersonal, don't you think, Pam?"

"Oh yes! And there are so many unknowns about them. I mean, who used the coffin before you? Do the maids know to come in at night? How is the day security? I would much rather stay with a… friend when possible." Russell's smile grew at her.

They were like two peas in a pod. It almost made her feel bad, but every time the feeling plagued her, she just through of poor Bill, suffering all alone. It left her feeling like a double agent in a real spy movie. Of course, she would have had to change her name to be a Bond girl. Pam would never work; Sookie was a little better, but still not quite up to par with Tatiana or Vivienne.

The ride to Edgington's 'casa' was not as long as she expected once he had informed them that he lived outside the city. From what Sookie understood, the Queen lived right in New Orleans, but then Jackson was not nearly the tourist attractions that the vampire haven of New Orleans was. Unfortunately, the travel time meant that she quickly became lost. No matter the conversation, she was fairly certain that Godric was tracking their progress. Vampires were better at keeping track of several things at once.

The residence was gated, which Sookie realized might present a problem, especially if they were trying to sneak Bill out. A vampire was watching it at night, but who covered it during the day? Not that sneaking a vampire out during the day was a great idea. She certainly wouldn't have Godric's help with it if that were the case.

When the gates finally opened, Sookie stopped her calculating and stared in awe. Bill's house looked like a summer house in comparison. It had probably been the house at which they filmed "Gone with the Wind." She couldn't help but appreciate the Vampire who could understand the appeal of its rustic simplicity and grace without having to remodel the whole exterior. It was Southern charm at its absolute best.

They were quickly ushered up the front steps to the double doors. Cold did not bother vampires the way it did humans, but that didn't mean they liked standing in it. Inside the house was like visiting the all male version of the playboy bunny mansion with both humans and vampires. When Talbot had thought about Russell's need to collect earlier, Sookie had not quite understood the scope of it. Now, she did. If they had been dressed in suits or some kind of uniform with little ear pieces for communication, it would have made some sense. Security details did not wear the kinds of things these guys were, or were not, wearing. Godric conveniently did not seem to notice.

"It has been a long evening; we could retire to the sitting room for a little night cap." Russell was looking between Godric and Sookie, Talbot close to his side. She knew he did not mean some scotch, and it was very evident that all this eye candy was not for her.

"I prefer to drink in a more... private setting." He had moved closer to her, and Sookie was impressed with how convincing Godric could be.

"Of course." Sookie thought the King sounded a little disappointed. Whether it was over not being there when her vein got tapped or because Godric obviously did not share his "tastes," she did not know. "Perhaps one of the upstairs bedrooms?"

"Sounds perfect."

"Miss Smith is welcome to use that for the remainder of the evening should she be too... tired to return to her hotel." It was the politest conversation she had ever heard about sucking someone's blood.

"Thank you kindly." That might have been a little much, but how could she not be excited over a chance to spend time alone in the vamp mansion, especially once they were all asleep for the day.

The King of Mississippi left them to be led up a gorgeous staircase to a guestroom. The room was just as magnificent as the rest of the house, though more opulent than historical. Sookie much preferred her room at Eric's house. In here, she was afraid to touch things. Still, she felt a little like Cinderella from rags to a ball gown for a royal party. Except, Cinderella never saved a Civil War Veteran with the help of an old world Prince who was pretending to suck her blood. And where the hell was her fairy godmother?

"Pam..." Godric started slowly. At first, she thought he was trying not to scare her, then she realized that there must have been prying ears. Sure enough, there was a void right outside their door... great.

"Godfrey..." She still wanted to laugh at his name choice, but now he knew she knew. Or so she hoped.

She sat down on the bed and kicked off her shoes. Sure they were comfortable for heels, but that only lasted so long. From the sounds of it, she was going to be there for a while. Why not get comfortable? Following her sentiment, Godric took off his jacket and laid it carefully on a chair, even loosening his tie.

"Would you like to take that off?" Had it been anyone else other than Godric, she would have tossed at shoe in their direction, but it was not the most comfortable thing to sit in. If she had any hope of sleeping, it was going to come off eventually.

"Help me with the zipper?"It may have given Alcide the wrong impression, but she was safe with Godric.

As soon as she felt the dress pull apart, Godric made a show of walking past her so that his back was to her for privacy. It was an incredibly sweet gesture considering the setting. Having laid her dress out, Sookie was faced with a dilemma. She was actually well enough covered by the underclothes (the ones that allowed her to fit in her dress) that she could talk to him without being immodent. Some of the pajamas she wore around the house were probably skimpier; however, no woman likes to be seen in spanx... it just isn't flattering. When she had chosen to wear them, it was solely based on how she would look in the dress. She had not planned on anyone seeing her without it.

In the end, her pride won out, and she tucked herself under the covers on the gigantic bed. It even had a small staircase to help you get in. "Alright." She signaled to Godric that the coast was clear.

He looked as if he were about to sit on the bed next to her, but her phone rang. They both knew exactly who it was.

"She is currently unavailable." Godric told his son by way of greeting. Praise the Lord he was Eric's maker, or this would be really awkward.

...

"Yes.

...

"Of course."

...

"Doubtful."

...

"I may have to."

...

"I will."

Sookie was gripping the covers over the short and one-sided conversation, but her phone was clicked shut and back in her purse before she could so much as tell Godric to say hey to Eric for her. Her anxiety over what might have been said on the other end did not even allow for a celebration over once again avoiding "the talk," at least, not a large one.

This time, Godric really did climb up on top of the bed and sit next to her, though he was safely on top of the covers. He leaned in close, his mouth millimeters away from her ear. His words were so quick and quiet, she had to strain to hear, even this close. It tickled a little when he spoke, but she managed to remain still.

"He wanted to check in on you and know if we might find Mr. Compton this evening. I told him it was unlikely." That explained two of the replies, but the rest of it she was still in the dark over. "With a guard at the door, I don't see how we can search without giving ourselves away."

He paused to let that sink in, but she had already figured out as much. The whole house was filled with voids, even if they knew exactly where Bill was it would be risky at that point. Better to bide than time than reveal their true motives and have nothing to show for it. They both reclined for a minute until Sookie finally nodded her understanding. If Godric was still that close, he obviously had more to say.

"I must ask something of you that I normally would not." That caught her attention. "Will you allow me to bite you?"

"God...frey!" Maybe it was a good thing he had chosen such a similar name. It was a close call. There was no way that she could speak as softly as he was, so she backed away to stare at him. If only he were the mind reader.

He moved close once again, but she did not budge. No part of her was frightened of him, she simply knew that his fast was important to him. "We are surrounded by vampires who believe you are here for me as a blood donor. It would be highly suspect were you to leave this room without me having taken some. If we are to keep up this charade, I am afraid I must." He withdrew to give her space, and she could see the sadness in his eyes. Unwittingly, she had forced him to break his fast.

"You can't!" She would have continued had Godric not silenced by whispering fervently in her ear once again. She had not even seen him move.

"You would have me endanger your life, and therefore the existence of my progeny?!" Well, if that wasn't the proverbial rock and hard place, Sookie didn't know what was.

She stared into his eyes a little longer, looking for any sort of waver. If he was not absolutely sure, they would just stick their heads together until they thought of something else. His eyes were determined. It was a look she was fairly certain she had given on occasion.

Slowly, she unclasped her necklace and laid it on the table next to the bed. "Take as much as you need." She knew now what he had been telling Eric he might have to do, but he has still asked her permission. Given the circumstances, she appreciated the gesture.

He smiled grimly at her acceptance, moving closer one last time. The night had definitely taken an unexpected turn. How could she have ever imagined Godric slipping his slim, cool arm over her protectively as he huddled over her upturned neck? She had given Eric blood many times, but that always seemed to be during... other things. There was nothing sexual about Godric's lips on her throat, which helped. It was then she realized she had been worried this was somehow cheating on Eric. When Godric's fangs slipped into her without so much as a pinch, she knew it wasn't.

It was simply one soul giving another sustenance and acceptance. The feeling was novel and wonderful. Eric did not need acceptance; he was sure of who he was and needed no approval for it. Funny that his maker would be so different, but somehow she felt it. Sookie knew that Godric had not been at peace with himself for some time but had not known how to make it better.

Now, she could feel his tension melting away as he relaxed above her. Maybe it was her total acceptance of who he was, both the caring almost human parts and now all the vampire as well. Whatever it was, she knew it was doing him some good. Godric, freely tasting his first drops of human blood in years, and Sookie, enjoying the comfort she brought to a still troubled boy. Yes, he had given up human blood as penance, but that meant that he had also been denying and vilifying a part of himself for years. It had to wear on him

When he pulled away, Sookie watched for any sign of a retreat into self-loathing. She would not allow that. What she saw was peace. Peace and a single tear of blood that rolled off his cheek to splash onto her own.

As so many vampires had done with her tears, she wiped it away with a finger before tasting the drop. It had not been a conscious decision, just a further display of her acceptance of him. Once she had, it was a little late to rethink the strange action.

"Thank you." _My sister_. Just as quickly as the thread of his thought came to her, it was gone. A single drop of his blood had done what only mouthfuls had previously accomplished. She had seen into his mind, and he had thought of her as his sister.

Godric missed the look of shock on her face because he was leaning over to seal the wound with his saliva. No doubt his blood would have healed the marks too quickly, and they needed to be visible. When he sat back up, she had her features once again arranged.

"I must go now. If I stay much longer, they will expect... other things to have taken place." Sookie figured if he could blush, he would have. His voice went back to a normal volume. "I should see our host before we go to day rest."

"Of course." They were speaking again for show, but she was proud she was able to speak at all, still stunned over his thought.

Godric completely undid his tie, unbuttoned a few buttons, and even slung his jacket over his shoulder. When he knocked to be let out, the door opened to reveal one sentry and the only female vampire Sookie had seen on the premises, Betty Jo.

"Oh good, I still have time to speak with the girl."

"She's mine." Well, those were certainly not words she had ever thought to hear snarling from Godric's lips, especially not about her, but when he looked back at her lying there on the bed, vulnerable, she appreciated the clear warning to Betty Jo.

"Of course, of course. Just a little girl talk."

Nothing about Betty Jo implied that girl talk was high on her priority list, but Godric had been about as threatening as he could afford to be as a guest in the house. Especially to Russell's second. Sookie was yawning as Godric nodded farewell to her and to Betty Jo. It had been a long night, and the bed was too comfortable not to affect her.

"That seems to have gone well." Betty Jo said as if they really were about to have some girl talk.

"I've never had any complaints." Her smile spoke to the absolute truth of her words, even if there hadn't been as many people in a position to complain as Betty Jo might suspect.

"I imagine not." Betty Jo inhaled deeply from the side of the bed, staring at the puncture marks on Sookie's neck. Now, the telepath was doubly glad for Godric's warning.

"Not to be rude," which in her experience always preceded something rude, "but I am lightheaded and very tired. Is there something I can do for you?" Sookie was probably pushing the envelope a little in her brusque treatment, but the woman was there for a reason. Hopefully, Sookie was right and had earned enough credit between possibly saving the vampire's second life and helping to secure another powerful vampire to get away with her sass. It sounded to her like something a pro would say anyway.

"Several things actually." It was like having Pam there with her... except the Pam that used to not like her. And that Pam would not be caught dead in the woman's mismatched outfit. "But for now, Russell would like Godfrey to stay again tomorrow, which means you speaking with the wolf." She must have meant Alcide.

"That can be arranged." _Easily._

"He would also like for you to be on hand again, if you are up for it, to keep Godfrey... entertained." The vampire leer was not attractive on her.

"It would be my pleasure."

"Sleep as late as you need to recover. A Were will be just outside in the morning and will take you wherever you need to go." Which left her no opportunity to snoop.

"That is very kind of ya'll, thank you." After things had started falling into place, Sookie had convinced herself this would be easy, but it was still going to take some doing. At least she had an invitation back... maybe they could create some sort of distraction in order to leave them free to search the grounds.

"Just keep Godfrey happy, and Russell will be happy."

"I can do that."

"Good. Nighty-night."

She knew sleep would come quickly, so she got up to peel off her spanx, then grabbed her phone before climbing back in the bed. First, a text to Alcide to let him know that everything was alright, and she would see him tomorrow if he was around. Then, it was down to business.

_Hey Eric, still can't talk. Vampire outside my door._ She realized it was a cop out, but they had bigger fish to fry. _I need help with a distraction tomorrow night. Any ideas?_

Her phone beeped at her only seconds later. She had seen the speed at which he typed. It was impressive.

_You will have your distraction come sundown. -E_

_Nothing dangerous, right?_ She could practically see him flying in. That would sure be a distraction.

_I can promise the King will love it. -E_

_Thanks!_

_Sookie, we will talk. -E_

"I know." She told him out loud, even though he couldn't hear.

She put away her phone and laid down her head. It was amazing that she could sleep with all that was going on around her, but she was out as soon as she shut her eyes.

* * *

Minor Points of Clarification:

1) How come none of you told me I was spelling Edgington wrong? Anywho, I fixed it this chapter!

2) Tara did not appear in my version because Godric glamoured her after the maenad incident and left her with a healthy respect for Supes

3) I know that Betty Jo came out a little too much like Pam... but I couldn't remember anything about her personality and am too lazy to fix such a minor character

4) I hope the whole Godric bit made sense. It kind of got away from me!

**I love you all, but reviewers get a gold star in my heart!**


	13. Chapter 13

This is going to be kind of a filler chapter, so sorry about the length!

I am also a little sad to admit that this story will be winding to a close in the next few chapters. I only planned the single book this fic round. I do not know if I will be continuing or not. Of course, I have tons of ideas flitting through my head, but they are mostly about later books, and my posting has already slowed drastically due to... life. We'll just have to see I guess!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything dealing with SVM/Trueblood and make no profits from this fic.

* * *

Lack of sleep seemed to be a real theme in Sookie's life. Not that she hadn't slept soundly. It's just that the light from the window in the room was shining much brighter than she would have hoped. The thought of rolling over and trying to fall back asleep crossed her mind, but she still had things to do to prepare for the evening ahead. Hopefully, something she had already packed would suffice for the more relaxed setting of a home visit because she really didn't feel like shopping. It felt very strange to put back on her fancy dress, but she had not packed any extra clothes in her tiny little clutch.

Unfortunately, there was no bathroom in her room. She knew there was a Were outside her door before she opened it, but she managed to act surprised by his nearness all the same. A human without her quirk would never have known there was someone on the other side. He was sleepy and grumpy, not a great combination for someone who is supposed to be watching you. Still, considering he had probably been out running as a wolf just a few hours ago, she couldn't blame him on either count.

While Russell obviously liked her and wanted to work together to snag "Godfrey," her job status apparently did not afford her much trust. She was not some damsel that Godric had picked up for a quick bite, she was supposedly a professional. She understood the precautions, even if they annoyed her.

"Excuse me, is there a bathroom I can use to freshen up?"

The Were only jerked his head towards the bathroom across the hall, following close behind her as she made her way over. It was probably unnecessary, but she locked the door behind her just in case. No way was he going to come in there with her, guard or not.

She had a feeling this bathroom was used by the number of humans she had seen traipsing around the night before. There were toothbrushes, razors, hair products, everything a human bathroom should have. For a minute, she entertained the thought of taking a shower, but a grumble from outside the door told her to forego that luxury until she was back at Alcide's apartment. Instead, she used the necessities, stole a swig of mouth wash and washed the sleep-smeared make-up off her face.

When she went back outside, the Were did not look any happier at her fresher appearance.

"Ready to go?" His voice was gruff, and he obviously thought it was time for her to leave. Maybe she had over-estimated Russell's thoughts of her worth, or maybe he was just in a bad mood and didn't care.

"Yeah, sure." She told him, glad she had brought her clutch and coat with her into the bathroom.

He lead the way down the stairs and through the kitchen to a back door. Even though he never once turned around to look at her, he would know she was following him just by the overly loud sounds of her heels on the marble tile. Usually, the sound made her feel powerful, today it just made her feel loud. Not a single human had woken for the day yet, and all the vampires would be sound asleep for several hours more. It made for a quiet house.

Once outside, they passed a pool, covered for the winter months. The small pool house beside it kept with the style of the main house, though Sookie knew it must have been added on later. A small path lead to a paved area in front of what had been the stables at one time, but now served as an open air garage. She and her Were escort were heading towards a Lincoln town car when she noticed something strange. There were two voids registering from the small room that was closed off in the stables.

It was a strange place for vampires to stay considering the mass of voids she had felt inside the house. Why would you make a vampire stay in your garage, much less two? More than anything else, she wanted to go look in that room, but the Were was jerking his head towards the passenger side of the car. She nodded, even smiling at him, all the while making a mental note to check back there later.

"Where to?" He asked once they were in the car.

Luckily, she had written down the address of Alcide's building when she had gone over to Janice's salon. There was no time to consider the implications of taking this Were to Alcide's home. At least, she had no other real options since it was the only place in town she knew. When he was satisfied he knew where they were going, they took off. Just as she suspected, another equally tired and grumpy Were was stationed in the guard booth to let them out.

The car ride was silent, and not comfortably so. She kept eyeing the radio, thinking some music would help, but every time she twitched towards it, her driver would turn and glare at her. The car ride felt much longer than it had the night before due in no small part to her companion. When the building was finally in view, she asked him to pull over rather than have him try to make it past the guard into the garage.

"Thanks for the ride." He didn't even nod as he pulled away. "And the gripping conversation." She finished under her breath.

Alcide had given her a spare key for her running around the day before, so when he wasn't home, she was not left out in the cold. Grabbing some clothes to change into, she immediately headed for the bathroom. A nice shower would really set her up. She had lost track of time standing beneath the deluge of hot water when she heard the front door open loudly.

"Hey Alcide?" She figured a burglar would have been sneakier but better safe than sorry.

"Yeah." He called back.

"Sorry about last night. I'll be out in a minute."

"Uhh, take as long as you need." He sounded almost nervous. It wasn't quite the reaction she had been expecting, but it was better than him being angry. "I guess you didn't find him?"

"Not yet, but I'm going back tonight with Godric. He's there for the day."

"Must have been quite a night."

"Yeah, it really was. I'll fill you in when I get out."

"Sounds good."

She had just finished rinsing the conditioner out of her hair when she thought she heard a knock on the front door, followed by a woman's voice. Maybe that was what had Alcide so nervous. Opening her mind, Sookie realized another of the Two-Natured had entered the apartment and was solely focused on Alcide. With Weres, all she usually got was emotions. This chick was just a huge ball of desire and an unhealthy possessiveness. Somehow, Sookie knew she had just touched the mind of none other than Debbie Pelt.

Alcide was not faring well. His own anger was quickly being overridden. No wonder he was still so messed up about her. Turning off the shower head, Sookie grabbed the towels she had hung up just outside.

"What was that? Is someone in your bathroom?" Debbie had pitched her annoyingly grating voice to make sure anyone in the apartment, and maybe some outside, could hear her.

Sookie popped open the door, still toweling drying her long blonde hair as she stuck her head around the corner rather than stand in front of them in a towel. "Sorry Alcide, I didn't realize we had company." The words kind of slipped off her tongue at the look of loathing on Debbie's face.

"We?" It was amazing the word could be understood through her clenched teeth.

Sookie closed the door on both of them. Alcide had not been asking for her to rescue him, and he did not look as though he really appreciated the help. The yelling match that had begun in the main room was not fully drowned out by her hair blow-dryer, but at least she didn't have to listen to the exact words of Debbie's insinuations that she was a prostitute. After all, hadn't she kind of pretended to be one? She might not have been selling her body, but she was selling her blood.

The apartment shook when Debbie slammed the door behind her. Alcide's anger had reached a whole new plateau, and Sookie really did take her time getting ready. It was hard to tell if he was angry at her or Debbie, but either way she did not particularly want to deal with it. He was the one who had set her up as his girlfriend. He could deal with the repercussions.

When she finally could not think of anything else to do, she came out in her jeans and a sweatshirt, protection from his cold apartment.

"We, Sookie? Really?" Her stalling had worked. He was sitting on the couch, still upset but not raging.

"Well, if I had known you still wanted to sleep with her, I wouldn't have said it. Though I think it might have actually helped you."

He winced at her biting words. "I thought you couldn't read Two-Natured's minds?" It came out as an accusation, as if she had lied to him.

"Don't need to be a telepath to see all that, Alcide."

He wasn't looking at her anymore. He could be a real jerk sometimes, but she still liked him. He definitely deserved better than Debbie Pelt. "Look, I know you still have feelings for her, and I am not gonna lie. She came over here with… intentions." He lifted his eyebrows in understanding, not looking displeased by the idea. "But Alcide… she still had her ring on."

His mouth opened and closed several times, but they both knew he was never going to come up with a good explanation for that. If she had been serious about Alcide, then she would have broken things off with the owl. You don't keep on an engagement ring unless you're still engaged, especially when you pop over to sleep with your ex.

"I count you as one of my friends, and I don't want to see you get hurt… again."

"Yeah, thanks." It may not have sounded sincere, but at that point, Sookie was willing to take what she could get. She collapsed onto the seat next to him with a sigh. Last night had really taken it out of her.

"You want to grab a late breakfast."

"Sure, sounds good." He looked at her sideways. "You alright? You look a little pale."

"Yeah, just haven't eaten since last night." She knew exactly at which point he finally noticed her neck. It was a tribute to his earlier anger that he had not only not noticed. Now she had to watch him strive towards that height of fury earlier.

"Someone bit you?!"

"No! Well, yes, but not 'someone.' It was Godric."

"He fucking bit you?!"

"Things got a little… complicated after you left." She tried to remain calm for his sake.

"He bit you!"

"Would you stop saying that?!" Her own voice was hardly controlled, her own temper usually came out when others lost theirs. "It isn't like he put moves on me or something. I was alone in a house full of vampires. He didn't even want to do it, but it was the only way to keep me safe."

"Yeah, I'm sure he was real tore up about sinking his fangs into your neck." The insinuation dripped from every word.

Her hand reacted before her mind could catch up. Alcide's head actually turned with the impact of her slap, the remnants of vampire blood in her system giving the hit just a little extra oomph. "Don't you dare talk about him like that."

"Oh, does Eric know he's been replaced yet?" She could very well have slapped him, but she just stood abruptly, looking down on him with hurt and no small amount of animosity.

"I hope you, Debbie, and the owl are very happy together." She did not manage as much venom as she had hoped, but she watched her barb hit home before walking out the front door.

Hopefully, her stuff would still be there when she came back for it rather than dumped outside. There was no way she was going back in there anytime soon. They both needed time to cool down, and she was not ready to apologize or be apologized to quite yet. That made some of her fights with Sam look like childhood squabbles. The rational part of her realized he had been lashing out over his pain with Debbie, but he had still hit her where it hurt.

This one was going to take a bit of getting over, but for now, she just wanted coffee, waffles, and a corner booth to shed a few tears in private.

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Next chapter we will be back on the Edgington Plantation! Exciting stuff folks!


	14. Chapter 14

The return to Russell's Manor..

Disclaimer: I don't own the plot, characters, settings from SVM or TrueBlood.

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She had spent most of the day looking around downtown Jackson, avoiding the apartment at all costs. When she finally returned, the sun was already setting. It was time for her to get ready for her big night. The jeans and sweatshirt she had stormed out in earlier hardly seemed appropriate for Russell's house.

The apartment empty by the time she made it back, which definitely worked in her favor. A long note was taped to the fridge, but she did not really feel like reading it yet. It could be him berating her further, which she did not need at the moment, or it could have been an apology. Her conscience knew she would forgive him eventually, it was kind of her thing, but it didn't have to be right then. She tucked the note in her purse for later when there weren't twenty other things to think about.

Betty Jo had said to return, but a definite time had never been set and no itinerary had been handed out. Sookie decided to go for fashionably late as she rifled through her clothes trying to find something to wear. She wanted to give them enough time to rise and get ready for the evening without being so late they would wonder if she was coming. Otherwise, it would be the equivalent of showing up at 8:00 AM for a human party or three hours late… just rude. Finding some black slacks and a cute sweater top with a low neckline to show off her puncture wounds, she finished it off with a pair of heels and the earrings from the night before to elevate the look. She was satisfied with the outfit, the epitome of dressy casual. Even Pam would have had to agree, and since she was Pam for the night, that was a good thing.

The hardest decision was coats… she had brought her coat, but saying it was ratty was putting it nicely. Sure, the fur was too dressy for her outfit, but at least it wouldn't embarrass her. She slung it over her arm rather than put it on. The sweater would keep her warm until the coat became necessary.

By the time she had put herself together, the sun had been set for a while. Add to that the time it would take to get there, and she figured it would be good to go ahead and leave. Too much later and her lateness would no longer be fashionable. Luckily, the cab company from Janice's yesterday had one of those super easy numbers to remember, 1-800-GET-TAXI. Sure, it wasn't grammatically correct, but she knew the number to call for a pick up.

She was inside the taxi in less than fifteen minutes and incredibly proud of her own self-sufficiency. The older gentleman looked as though he had been driving taxis for quite some time, and the front had several pictures of his grandchildren. It did not take much encouragement from Sookie for him to open up about his family. The stories he told matched perfectly with what she saw in his head. He was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and soon to be great-grandfather. From what she gathered, he only drove a few times a week, for the fun of it… No matter why he did it, she was glad he did. By the time they arrived at the mansion, she was happy, relaxed, and completely confused by how quickly the time had passed.

"Pam Smith… I'm expected." She told the Were at the front gate. It was a different guy than the one from that morning, and he looked as if he had gotten a proper night's sleep. Apparently, when they weren't running on the full moon, they were Russell's full time security. What would Alcide have thought about that?

The taxi waited patiently while the Were spoke to someone in the main house. Her driver knew exactly where they were and did not approve of such a nice young lady being there; however, her choice did not change his opinion of her. It was a nice change of pace to not be automatically labeled a 'fangbanger.' "Yes, ma'am. Drive on through to the front please." He finally lifted the gate for them to pass through.

Her phone buzzed for a new text as they drove down the long lane.

_Your distraction will be there soon. If things fall apart, get out of there. No heroics. –E_

She deleted all her texts from him just in case someone got to her phone. She hoped against hope that no heroics would be called for. It would be so nice if for once, things went nice and smoothly for her.

"Miss?" They had stopped at the front steps.

"Hmm?" She had not heard whatever the cabbie had said.

"I asked, would you like me to wait for you?" He had not idea how long "these things" took. She got that quote straight from his head.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'm actually just meeting an old friend here." She hoped none of the vampires outside could hear her, but she wanted the old man to keep his good opinion of her. "Good luck with the great-granddaughter, I am sure she's going to love you!" Suddenly, Sookie realized she might have to add grand theft auto to her list of mischief if she wanted to get out of here with Bill. She had not planned for a getaway vehicle.

"Thank you, and you take care of yourself."

"Always do," she told him with a wink.

"Pam!" Russell descended the stairs gracefully. Had he been in skirts, they would have made him look like he was floating. In a very un-vampire-ish show of greeting, he air kissed her on both cheeks. "So glad you could come again."

"Thank you so much for inviting me." She replied just as warmly.

"Godfrey was quite taken with you." He whispered conspiratorially, staring at her neck. "I was glad I had Betty Jo speak with you before you fell asleep because he requested your presence today before we even went to day rest. You may have found yourself a permanent position, young lady."

Sookie had no idea there was such a thing, but she tried to look pleased at the prospect. It was exactly what she had been trying to avoid with Eric, being someone's kept women. However, given the current charade, it was something Pam Smith would definitely be interested in. "Perhaps he and I will have a chance to talk about that later." She replied with a wink.

"I am sure some alone time can be arranged. After all, Godfrey had already received a call from that wolf saying he would be in meetings this evenings, so well done!" She had remembered to text Alcide about that, but he had not answered. It was good to know he had been mature about it.

"I explained the circumstances. If Alcide was busy with work, then Godfrey would not feel obligated to meet with him. Godfrey seems like he is all about manners."

"Yes, I have noticed that as well." Something passed over his face, regret, maybe before he perked back up. "If you will follow me, he is waiting in the parlor with Talbot and Betty Jo."

It was a small, intimate party. Talbot made her a drink and some other human men brought in snacks for the two to enjoy. Sipping her drink, she reminded herself that she was not here for pleasure, and she definitely couldn't afford to be tipsy. It felt weird eating in front of the vampires, so that made the appetizers easy to ignore. A late lunch was holding her over for a while, so she could sit back and wait for Eric to make a long distance 'Hail Mary.'

Mostly, it was more of the same from the night before. Godric sat closer to her than normal on the loveseat but did not actually touch her, and regaled them with stories of Europe. She had never heard most of these before, but it was probably safer than speaking of his more recent history. Over the last few centuries, he and Russell had known some of the same people, so they compared experiences. Betty Jo was obviously much younger than the other two, but even she joined in occasionally. Sookie just listened and waited, staying attentive to Godric as was called for by their relationship.

A Were came in, looking very hesitant to be interrupting. Russell muttering, "this had better be important," probably didn't help.

"Sir… I believe Elvis Presley is in the building." Sookie looked just as surprised as the man who said it.

"Bubba." Godric said quickly, trying to hide his surprise. Apparently, Eric had not mentioned who he would be sending to his maker.

"I'm fairly certain it's Elvis. He seems really… confused though." The Were looked between Godric and Russell, unsure who to address.

"No, he goes by Bubba now. Please tell them not to call him Elvis. It upsets him."

The Were quickly spoke into the walkie-talkie on his sleeve.

"You know Elvis?" Betty Jo spoke up, clearly excited by the idea.

"His transition did not go well, so different vampires help to watch over him. I have been aiding in his care for a few months now." Which meant that Eric had known Elvis all this time and not introduced Sookie to him…

"That definitely explains all those sightings." The waitress said to no one in particular.

"He must have followed me here." That seemed like a rational enough reason for the The King to be here of all places. When Eric said he would provide a distraction, he meant it.

"Please bring 'Bubba' in." Russell told his guard.

"Do you think he would sing for us?" Betty Jo was obviously a fan.

"It depends on how he is feeling. I will ask, but if we push too much…" He left it unspoken. Sookie had never met a vampire whose transition had affected them, but an off-their-rocker vamp did not sound like a good thing.

"Bubba!" Godric called happily as that winning smile broke out across the older man's face. He may have looked the older of the two, but Sookie knew that Godric had several hundreds of years on him.

"God…frey." Hopefully, everyone would chalk that up to his mental imbalance. The hesitation was too pronounced to mistake.

"They told me you would be here. When I woke up the other night, you were gone." He sounded genuinely hurt by this, like some child whose parent had gone away on an unexpected business trip.

"I'm sorry Bubba, I should have let you know. This is Miss Pam." Elvis shook Sookie's hand, and she returned his smile. He seemed very sweet, if not quite himself. Bubba shook the hands of everyone in the room as they were introduced, even the vampires. Betty Jo did not seem to mind at all, beaming as she was.

"Bubba, Miss Betty Jo here heard what a good singer you are; would you be willing to sing for some of the vampires here?" The room held their collective breath for his reaction.

He seemed to be thinking really hard about it, but finally, he gave his famous half smile and even winked at his fan, looking more like his old self. "It would be my pleasure, ma'am."

Betty Jo looked as if she might actually swoon. Sookie managed to hold in her laughter at Russell's second. The woman had seemed so tough last time, who knew it would just take a wink from the original rock star to make her melt into a puddle of fan girl.

"Some of the vampires here" quickly turned into most of the compound. A rudimentary stage, complete with sound equipment was erected in record time, and everyone moved outside for the concert. She and the other humans were bundled up tight, but the vampires did not seem to even notice, their eyes trained on the stage as Bubba took the mic. Someone had even found him a guitar.

If there had been any doubt before as to whether or not he was the real thing or an impersonator, it was settled when he started to sing. He really came alive while performing. He had been a little plumper than his early years when he passed away, but being a vampire, his hips could still gyrate with the best of them. Vampires must be huge Elvis fans because everyone there was into it. Even Godric seemed pleased his friend was enjoying himself. Sookie let the ancient vampire enjoy the concert for a moment before catching his attention. They had work yet to do, but he motioned for her to wait when she jerked her head in the other direction.

"Russell, Pam and I are going to go… be alone for the remainder of the concert." It would buy them some time.

"Yes, yes, of course." It was obvious the King of Mississippi simply did not wish to be disturbed, so the two left the crowd without so much as a questioning look from the captivated audience.

"Where to?" He asked once they could be fairly certain no other vampires would hear them.

"I felt some vampires earlier in the garage. I think we should check there first."

"I have not left the manor, so lead the way."

She led him back behind the house, with only a few stops in dark corners. Under different circumstances (and with a different vampire) this would have been quite exhilarating, but every time Godric loomed over her, it meant one of the few Weres left was passing by. They had obviously been told about Godric/Godfrey because they were not stopped once, despite a couple cat calls. It only served to drive home that this was still going to be difficult, even if they had gotten away from Russell for the moment.

Approaching the garage, Sookie did not sense any active minds. It struck her as funny, but she wouldn't be a half bad thief… she would, at least, make a great lookout. Somehow, she had missed her criminal calling in life. The tiny bubble of laughter died away as Godric tilted his head at her. She didn't want him to think she was crazy as well.

Over her momentary distraction, something else caught her attention. While there were no minds that she could read, there was a void. However, where there had been two earlier, there was only one now. She couldn't help her excitement. If her suspicions were right, then Bill was in there, and whatever vampire was with him earlier must be gone, maybe the concert had called away his companion.

"I think he's in there." She spoke so softly that she could barely hear herself, but Godric nodded, walking over to the door.

Another point in their favor: it wasn't locked. Russell probably wasn't expecting any intruders brave/stupid enough to go after someone held prisoner on his property. Obviously, he didn't know her very well.

Sookie and Godric walked in to a scene from some gore film. There were silver chains covered in what she could only assume was Bill's flesh, blood everywhere, devices she had never seen and didn't want to, and in the middle of it all, sat a female vampire, bloody tears running down her face. The puddle of blood around her looked fresh and much too big to be from a single bleeding.

Godric immediately stepped in front of Sookie, but it was too late. She had already seen everything. Human might be slower than vampires, but they still pick things up rather quickly. Her brain was already working overtime to process all the visual information. To come to the inevitable conclusion. "You bitch, you killed him!"

Her chuckle did not even manage to be half-hearted. "He had served his purpose. I brought him in to this world, and I took him out of it." So this must have been Lorena, Bill's maker. Her statement should have sounded cheesy, but her voice broke in the middle. Sookie had to squash the feeling of pity welling up in her. She had been to Bill what Godric was to Eric… and she had killed him. She deserved no pity.

"Do you know what you have done?"Godric looked positively frightening, holding this woman by the neck, fangs bared and snarling with anger. Whether she knew it or not, she had killed his progeny's chance at survival.

The telepath stood in shock as Lorena laughed at him. It took a certain kind of crazy to laugh at a man who looked to be on the verge of ripping your throat out, but then, she had just finished torturing and killing her child. Crazy was exactly what this bitch was.

"Thank whatever gods you worship that we are out of time, or I promise I would make whatever you did to that poor man look like child's play." It felt as though the temperature in the room dropped with every word Godric spoke, and Sookie found herself unconsciously stepping away from him. Every time she thought she had Godric figured out, something new came up to surprise her. He had definitely shown his vampiric side before, but never like this.

She watched as Lorena's eyes began to bulge from the increased pressure around her neck. He couldn't choke her to death… did he plan to pop her head off with his bare hands? That was when Bill's maker began to fight, but even Sookie could tell it was useless. Her nails managed to rake across Godric's flesh, opening a few gashes, and she tried to pry off the single hand that held her. Godric did not even flinch. His blood seeped out slowly, compared to a human's… his blood.

"Godric! Wait!" He turned to her, pain in his eyes over what he was going to do. It left her breathless. Given what this woman had done, part of him still did not want to kill her. "She said he had served his purpose. What if Bill told her where it is?"

"Of course he did, otherwise he would still be alive." His voice was flat, resigned.

It made sense that he had already figured that out, but it left her even more confused. "Then we can't kill her until we know!"

He sighed. "Sookie, there is no time. Russell will be looking for us soon enough. I cannot make her tell us anything without breaking her as she did Bill, and we can hardly sneak out of here with a vampire hostage."

That all made sense, but she still had her big secret. Now, she just had to decide if it was worth the consequences to reveal something that might get her killed. She knew she loved Eric… did he love her enough to not kill her? Or would Godric do it for him? There was not enough time to really list out the pros and cons. For now, if it saved Eric's life, it was worth it. Besides, if Eric died, she would lose her freedom anyway. Maybe it was better to be dead.

"There's another way, but you have to trust me."

"Of course, I trust you." He seemed taken aback that she would even have to say anything. It warmed her heart.

"Hold her still." Godric did as Sookie said, pulling Lorena to him and wrapping his arms around her like a vice. The other woman was struggling, trying to break free, but Godric never budged.

After a moment's hesitation, Sookie got to work. There was no time to waste. She went over to Godric, an apologetic look in her eye. He actually jumped when she licked the blood off his cheek, but held still when she took another gulp from an open wound that Lorena's nails had left. It was heady stuff. When she backed away, Sookie already felt like she had consumed a lot of alcohol in a short period of time. And Godric had no idea what she was doing, but he really did trust her implicitly. She knew that because she saw it, right there in his mind. Rather than delve around, intruding on the privacy of her friend, she latched on to Lorena's immobilized arm.

"Bill told you where the software is hidden, didn't he?"

_Of course you little whore, but I'm never going to tell you that._ It helped that Lorena was thinking the words right at her, completely unaware that Sookie could hear it all. Taunting a telepath in your mind is never a good idea.

"Just tell us where it is, and we will let you go." She felt Godric's hesitation at her words.

"Go to hell. I've already told the guards here, someone will be picking it up very soon." _Just have to make it back to Bon Temps._ Sookie saw it all in her head.

"He hid it in his grave? That sneaky bastard!" Lorena and Godric's eyes widened at the same time. The whole thing struck her as terribly funny. Bill using his empty grave as a hiding place, the vampire's expression. She was giggling while standing in a puddle that had once been Bill. Her rational mind knew this was very **not** funny, but it was quickly being overridden by something else.

"How did you?!" A gasp of realization struck her. "You're Sookie! He told me you couldn't read vampire minds."

A triumphant smile lit her face. "Shhhh, it's a secret. If I told you, I'd have to kill you." Sookie was laughing outright now.

"Sookie." Godric used that calming voice that parents use when talking to a scared child. "Did you really just read her mind?"

"Of course silly, but don't tell Eric or he'll be real angry." It was the vampire blood. She knew it even if she could do nothing to stop the affect it was having on her. No wonder some people used vampire blood like a drug. She felt amazing! Sookie weaved back and forth beside the two vampires, swaying to the music in her head.

It was in a total daze that she watched Godric reach into Lorena's chest as if it were a pocket and pluck out her heart. It was impressive because he managed to only get her blood on the one hand, even when she turned to goo right in front of him. Sookie should have been horrified, but all she could manage was a jaw drop. "I think you broke her." She told him finally, covering the laughter that escaped at her joke.

"She couldn't know, Sookie." It sounded like an explanation to her, but she couldn't process it yet. "Even if she hadn't killed Bill, no one can know what you can do."

That statement meant something to her. The significance was trying to strike her, but it was taking too long. "Sookie, we need to leave now. I need to get you out of here."

That's right. He was supposed to kill her now. She could read his mind. Vampires didn't want humans to be able to see their minds, so she was going to have to die now. Eric would be safe, though.

"Aren't you going to kill me?" She didn't sound scared or sad when she asked, just a little confused. He was holding her shoulders, keeping her still… or maybe upright? She wasn't sure.

"Why would I do that?" It was his turn to be horrified. She reached out and touched him as she had Lorena. Normal Sookie would never have invaded his mind like this, but drugged Sookie had no such inhibition.

"Oh… oh!" It was all she managed before the lights went out in the stable, or had she just closed her eyes? She never got to answer that question for her own mind as she passed out in Godric's arms.

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I hope that you all enjoyed that chapter as much as I did. This might actually be one of my new favorites. It changed from my original idea, but I think it came out well.

**Feel free to review and tell me if you hate me for killing off Bill!**


	15. Chapter 15

I'm gonna go ahead and call this the conclusion. Hey, at least I got it to you fast! There will be one, maybe two more chapters, but this is the culmination of everything we have been waiting for. Enjoy!

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Flying had to be the absolute handiest vampire ability ever, besides the whole immortality thing. Sookie felt a little guilty about it, but she realized it was a good thing they had not had to attempt a rescue for Bill as well. It would have seriously impeded their escape. She had woken up long enough to hear the guards shouting at them from below while Godric took off into the night sky but had been in and out of it since then.

_"She is frightened of what you will say."_

_…_

_"You need to be sure of that beforehand. Once it has been spoken, you cannot take it back."_

_…_

_"I have known for quite some time, I just needed to be certain that you knew it as well."_

When she finally awoke fully, she wasn't sure if the conversation she had heard Godric having with himself was real or if she had dreamed it all. Everything since she passed out was a blur. They had picked up a car somewhere along the way. She had been out when he had apparently deposited her in the seat and buckled her in. It turned out that Godric was a very capable driver, and a lot less scary than Eric sometimes.

"Sookie, we are safe, and I doubt that anyone could have followed us. I let Alcide know as well." She nodded without raising her head from the window it was leaning against. It was the first words spoken between the two of them since their escape, and Godric was using that quiet voice again, as if not to scare her. "I called Eric; he was able to get to the computer program before the Weres. If we hurry, I can get you home before sunrise."

She nodded again. It was better than giggling or saying something stupid. Having Eric's blood always made her feel better. It was kind of like taking steroids. She was a stronger, better version of herself, with the pleasant side effect of healing any wounds she had incurred in the line of duty. Godric's blood was like… crack. Or at least, what she imagined crack felt like. It must have been the age difference. For a minute, she had felt downright invincible. Her disability was a superpower, and she could have learned every secret known to man.

Then, she had crashed. Her body felt fine, better than fine actually. She knew without trying that she would be abnormally fast right now, and stronger than usual as well, but she just felt drained. As if her mind had expanded along with her new telepathic capabilities, and now that space, that ability, was still there, but she lacked the power to utilize it. It didn't even make sense that she could feel this physically good and mentally exhausted. If searching human minds normally left her tired, doing it to vampires was exponentially more difficult.

Part of her wanted to pass out again. It had been much easier. Awake, she had to face some things she had been avoiding. The single thought that she had gotten from Godric only the day before was simply the tip of the iceberg. She had heard him compare Eric to his father, brother and son at different times, but she did not realize that he felt the same way about her. The bond between a maker and their progeny had always confused her, but she thought she understood it now. It was a tie that went even deeper than family because a true maker picks his progeny. How many times had her mother wished Sookie had been born different? Godric accepted her as one of his own without wishing to change her. His emotions, hidden beneath that stoic exterior, had been overwhelming. After having felt everything he did, Sookie could swear that vampires were capable of much stronger feelings than humans.

While it felt a little like getting her Gran back, it also gave her something to think about. Vampires were capable of love outside of the maker relationship.

That should have been a good thing. Hell, that should have been **great **thing! Unfortunately, this whole time, Sookie had been falling back on the idea that maybe vampires were just not capable. Maybe their survival instinct overruled all other emotions. Which meant, that if Eric couldn't say he loved her back, then it wasn't really his fault, was it? He could still care for her, and she had thought that would be enough.

But Godric loved her. Not the way she wanted Eric to, but it was still love. Could she settle for less when he was capable of so much more? She had not realized that her mental sigh had been an audible one until Godric spoke.

"Sookie, it wasn't your fault." He thought she felt guilty over Bill. "He tried to remain loyal to his Queen, and in the end, we were able to give him that."

Truthfully, she did feel guilty. If they had gotten there sooner, maybe literally by minutes, they might have been able to save him. She and Bill had not been close, but he had seemed nice for all that Eric thought him a schemer. Godric had definitely made friends with him. She felt bad that he had died, but she felt worse that she did not care more than she did. There had been no tears shed over Bill Compton. Even know that when had full control of her faculties, she wished that she could really delve into guilt over his demise, but once again, there were too many other things at stake to lose herself to remorse. Maybe she really was a bad person.

"I know… I am glad he didn't die for nothing." It sounded as contrite as it always did in the movies, but it was all she could give him.

"Then what is wrong?" The concern was apparent in his voice, even if he kept his eyes trained on the road.

"Are you going to tell Eric what I did?" Now, she did sound a little like a scared child, but this secret had the potential of ruining everything.

"It is a very important fact, Sookie. He has a right to know the truth depths of your abilities."

"Godric, he can't know!" A note of hysteria took over her voice. She could still remember his threat. It felt so long ago now, but despite everything between them, it was that one part of him that still scared her.

"Sookie, is that why you thought I was going to kill you? Because you read my mind?"

"When Eric and I first met, he made it very clear that if I ever developed that talent, I would have to die."

Godric swerved off the road, coming to a sudden stop that reminded her more of Eric's driving. The steering wheel was creaking under Godric's hand. "He will do no such thing." It was the same voice he had spoken to Lorena with, and Sookie regretted letting that bit of information slip. She did not mean to cause dissension between the two men in her life. The worst part is that she really could not defend him; there was no way around a death threat, regardless of how well he knew her at the time.

"I promise that he will not harm you, even if I have to order him to do so." He seemed to realize his mistake when he cringed at his own words.

"That's the problem, isn't it?" She managed to keep her voice quiet. "What kind of relationship can I have with a guy who isn't killing me _only _because his maker told him he couldn't?"

Godric turned to look at her, part of her wished she could read his mind again, but she did not intend to repeat that experiment any time soon. "Whatever he might have once told you, I do not believe he feels the same way now." Godric held up his hand when his passenger was about to interrupt, and Sookie let him continue. "However, this is your secret to share, and I will respect your opinion either way you decide."

"Thank you Godric."

He pulled back on the road, and Sookie knew they needed to hurry to Bon Temps or he would have to go to ground on the side of the road. "But I think you are doing my son a disservice."

Coming from Godric, that hurt. She knew he was simply letting her know his opinion on the matter, but it definitely hit home. It was just another thing that she wasn't sure she could trust Eric with… like her love. It was unfair, but the alternative was just plain frightening.

* * *

It felt wonderful to recognize where they were once again. She was once again in Eric's territory, safe. At night, she had nothing to worry about, not with Godric there and Eric waiting for her. She would worry about her days later.

Sure, Russell could still come after her, if he managed to put things together, but Lorena wouldn't be telling him anything. For that matter, she wouldn't be saying anything, to anyone, ever again. Sookie considered herself a good person; however, she was not bad that Lorena had died. The woman had obviously been horrible for Bill, and the short time Sookie had spent in her presence had done nothing to better the telepath's opinion.

It was already morning, albeit early morning, when they pulled into her driveway. The sun would be up in an hour or so. Sookie was exhausted from all the worrying, planning and mind reading. Vampire work weekends always left her grateful for her own bed. She was not entirely surprised when Eric opened the passenger door for her. Not even a sound of protest left her lips when he unhooked her seatbelt, and she leaned into him when he lifted her from the car. It felt so good to have him holding her.

"I'm so proud of you." He whispered in her ear. It could easily have sounded patronizing, but that tiny tinge of fear in his voice, fear of how things could have gone, kept it sincere. The kiss he placed on top of her head made it sweet.

"Thank you."

He took her directly to her bedroom, and Godric performed his famous disappearing act, leaving them alone. Convenient for him but awkward for her. The vampire sheriff set her down gently on her bed, where she promptly rolled over on her side. He crouched down beside her, balancing on the balls of his feet until they were almost eye level. Eric had that determined look, and she was not sure she was ready for the talk. She contemplated passing out, or at least, pretending to, but Eric could probably tell the difference from her heart rate or breathing or some other annoying detail.

"Sookie… I don't have long before the sun rises."

"I know." She spoke with a sigh of resignation.

"When you left me that message. Did you mean to say it?"

"No…" She admittedly truthfully. Some emotion played over his, but Sookie wasn't sure what it was. "But I did mean it." She looked away from him, unable to stare into those intense eyes.

"Sookie," he took her hands in one of his, sitting her up slowly until her legs were hanging off the bed between his knees and she was facing him with his other hand softly on her cheek, "I love you."

Her mind kept telling her mouth that it should say something, but it just hung there, open. They were the words she had wanted to hear but not that she had expected to hear. She was all at once the happiest she had ever been and the saddest. Why did such a perfect moment have to be so complicated?

"Sookie?" Her facial expression must have worried him. She was probably not controlling it as well as she usually did.

"Icanreadvampire'smind." She blurted it out, the words tumbling over each other. Should she have waited until Godric was around? Maybe. But the man had just admitted to loving her. She had to know how much.

"What?"

"I can read vampire's minds." She managed to slow the words into something discernable.

"So you lied to me?" He actually sounded hurt, but he hadn't snapped her neck. That was a good sign.

"No, when I told you that I couldn't, I didn't know I could. I have to drink vampire blood for it to happen. Up till today, it has only been a couple things here or there, never anything terribly important. It's kind of surprising really how many times I have ended up ingesting vampire blood. Then, when Bill was dead, Godric said that we couldn't get Lorena to tell us what we needed to know in time. He was going to kill her, and we were going to lose. I was going to lose you. I had to try. I took some of his blood; it's… powerful. Lorena knew where the software was, she practically told me so. I had to dig a little, like I do in your interviews, but I figured it out. I've heard your thoughts a couple times, but I have never gone searching. I don't even know if I can with other vampire's blood. Godric's is so much older. I figure that is why it has that effect." They both knew she was rambling, but he hadn't tried to stop her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked once she had run out of steam.

She looked down at her own hands covered by his. "You… you said you would kill me if I could, Eric."

Sookie had no idea what was happening, but suddenly, he had her in his grip. His arms surrounding her, squeezing her tightly but not enough to hurt. He was rubbing her back comfortingly and kissing her hair over and over. This was much better than strangling or neck snapping.

"Of course you would remember that." He sounded chagrined.

"Death threats are usually pretty memorable." She mumbled into his shirt, arms trapped at her sides by his bear hug.

"Sookie, I am so very sorry. You do not know how much I regret those words and the pain they must have caused you. Please believe me when I tell you that I only wish to keep you safe."

She melted into his arms, her last reserves gone. They stood that way for some time while Sookie's world view adjusted itself. When she pushed on his chest a little, he allowed her enough space to where she could look up at him.

"Now that that's settled," she started matter-of-factly, "say it to me again."

"Sookie Stackhouse, I love you."

She smiled up at him, enjoying the way his eyes lit up when he spoke those words. It was a different kind of intensity than their normal heat, and it stirred her heart.

"I have to go now." He was obviously sad about the timing, a little chuckle escaping at the pout on her face.

"I know."

"The sun will be up soon."

"I know." Her own voice was just as disheartened by the impending separation.

"It's your turn now." He urged her softly.

"I love you, Eric."

He had left her breathless before but never with a single, sweet kiss.

"Stupid sun," she growled into his chest when he was hugging her again.

"Careful there tiger, we will have plenty of time for more of that, just not right now."

"Tell me you are taking tonight or tomorrow night or whatever off work. Otherwise, I am storming Fangtasia."

"Then perhaps I should go to work." His eyes crinkled at her displeasure and laughter rang out. "I will be here as soon as the sun sets." He reassured her. "Now, please let me go or I will have to hide under your bed for the day."

She kissed him one last time with a little more heat than was probably fair to either of them. His eyes were smoldering when he finally detached, but at least she could be sure he would return when he promised. She collapsed on her bed when he left, sorry his absence but blissfully happy all the same.

* * *

I have taken quite a few liberties here. I realize that Eric here is a vast deviation from canon as I think the last book in SVM clearly indicates, but I don't really like Eric in the last two books that Harris has written. I want Sookie to get the happy ending she deserves with him, and the only way I see that happening is to make Eric a little less emotionally handicapped than he actually is. Don't worry, if I write more, I won't be turning Eric into a big sap. He will still be Eric, just Eric with the capacity to care more about someone else than himself.

**Important Author's Note:** **I do not think I will be writing another full fic. There are a couple things I had planned for some of the later books, but nothing concrete and definitely nothing for the next book. (Eric can hardly lose his memory and fall in love with Sookie again… I mean, he could, but it wouldn't be too much fun reading). However, I am contemplating writing a series of rather long one-shots for different events in there future. My version of events would change things dramatically for some of them. There will be at least another chapter here, and I will keep you all updated!**


	16. Epilogue 1

Kind of a strange epilogue as I am actually bringing in an unexpected (I hope) character, but you will definitely be seeing more of he/she as I have decided to write another full fic! Inspiration hath struck and you all get to reap the benefits! It will take the basics of the 4th book and put a rather large twist on it. I have already started on the first chapter, so hopefully that will be up before too long.

* * *

"One minute, Alcide." Sookie was surprised that he was early. While not exactly the type of guy who is late often, the Were had told her he would be by some time after lunch. It was just then 11:00, but it was definitely one of the Two-Natured outside, who seemed a little nervous but not malicious. Unless Sam had decided to drop by unexpectedly, that left Alcide.

His note had been a very nice one, when Sookie had finally read it the day after returning home. She had called him, found out he had vacated Jackson as soon as Godric let him know what happened. Apparently, he was going to let things cool down there before returning. However, he had gone to take care of some other out of town business. He had agreed to drop by with her stuff when he got back.

She threw a sweatshirt on over her pajamas. Having worked the night before, she had only been up for an hour or so. It was just too cold to be opening doors in a t-shirt.

"Hey…" She started to greet her Werewolf friend, but instead of facing a very tall, burly man, there was a petite young woman standing in her doorway.

"Expecting someone else?" Luna asked with a nervous smile. "I did promise to drop by if I was ever in Bon Temps."

Sookie reached out and hugged the girl who she had escaped the Fellowship with. An evening like that can forge a real bond between two people. "How have you been? What are you doing here? How did you know where I live?" Remembering her manners, the waitress stepped out of the way and swung the door open wide. "Come on in before we both freeze!"

"Thanks." Luna inspected her surrounding thoughtfully as she followed Sookie into the living room.

Ever the good hostess, Sookie threw another piece of wood on the fire. Jason had chopped down a few old trees and Godric had helped cart in the wood. An ancient vampire doing manual labor had been funny to watch, but Jason's expression at the loads that Godric carried were even better. Plus, she got firewood out of it, so she definitely wasn't complaining.

"I was just making some hot chocolate for myself, you want a cup?"

"Sounds great actually!" Two-Natured's ran a higher temperature than humans, but they still got cold. It was pretty bad out there for December.

Luckily, Sookie had poured enough milk for two cups, so she went back to stirring. Luna didn't follow this time, and rather than shout into the other room, Sookie collected herself as the milk warmed up. Of all the people to be at her front door, Sookie would have guessed Debbie Pelt before Luna. Not that she was unhappy, just very, very surprised, and a little worried as to the reason.

Once the milk was at the right temperature, she added the powdered hot chocolate and whisked. Gran had been very particular about hot chocolate, and Sookie had picked up the meticulousness. People who drank it mixed with water didn't know what they were missing.

She got down two snowflake themed mugs, in honor of the season, and took the steaming cups in to Luna and the fireplace.

"I'm sure your wondering why I'm here." Luna finally said after decided the drink was too hot for sipping.

"Not that I'm not glad to see you, but yeah."

"Well, things had gotten kind of hairy back in TX. My cover was blown after that stunt we pulled." Sookie blushed. The 'we' in that sentence had been gracious as Sookie was the only reason Luna had even had to 'pull' anything. "Gabe ended up getting out of jail somehow, and even though Steve is missing, the Fellowship is still going strong."

"Steve Newlin is missing?"

"Yeah, we went on a trip about a week or so ago and hasn't been heard from sense." Sookie had a pretty good idea what had happened to him, but Luna started back in on her story. "My face was pretty well known because the Fellowship has cameras set up, so they couldn't try and use me for something else. By the way, you look better as a blonde."

"Thanks, I think so too."

"Anyway, the Weres I work with asked me to lay low for a bit while things settled, and I had gotten in contact with that Shifter boss of yours. Turns out there aren't too many Two-Natureds around here, especially who are active on the boards. Once I told him about you, it was easy to know I had the right guy. He mentioned that you had run into a little trouble of your own again." Sookie had told Sam everything dealing with Bill, who would never be a customer at Merlotte's again.

"I figured, I need a place to stay for a bit, and it sounds like you could use someone around during the day." Even in the short time Sookie had spent with Luna, the waitress had quickly found out the Were was not one to mince words, but considering Eric had been talking about hiring a bodyguard for her, this offer was surprising but not unwelcome.

"Before I answer, I want to make sure you have the full story."

"Sure." She smiled indulgently, as if Sookie could not surprise her.

"I already have a vampire living with me."

"Yeah, they one that you were breaking out back in TX. Sam told me." Sookie didn't know whether to be grateful or angry that Sam couldn't keep his big mouth shut. "And you're dating the other one… the rude one."

Sookie just shrugged at that description. Considering their only meeting, it wasn't surprising that Luna saw him that way."Sounds like you and Sam have talked quite a bit."

"Yeah, he's sweet. Even offered me a job if you'll let me stay."

"Did he really?"

"Yep."

There were a lot of things from that piece of conversation that Sookie wanted to delve into, but it was beginning to seem like she and Luna would have plenty of time for girl talk. "Alright, so you know the vampires in my life, but did _Sam_ tell you what trouble I'm in exactly?"

"He said you pissed off some vamp from across the border."

"Specifically, Russell Edgington, the King of Mississippi." Luna's whistle of appreciation was not quite as serious as Sookie would have liked.

"You sure you're not from Texas? You sure seem to like doing things big."

"Luna, he has sent a Were after me before. Now, I'm not sure that he knows I am the same person who pissed him off in Jackson, but if he puts it together…"

"Yeah, I get it. It won't be pretty. All the more reason for you not to be alone all day every day. Fat lot of good that vamp's gonna do you tucked away in some hole somewhere.

"You're preaching to the choir. I'd love for you to come stay with me, really. I just want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into."

"I had a pretty good idea the day I decided to help you out back at the Fellowship."

"And I really appreciate it."

"Then it's settled. Good because my stuff should be here before too long. You got a room open?"

This was going to take some shuffling.

* * *

I might fill in a few more chapters of her getting settled, but it will all be fun little scenes. The next fic will start at the exact same time as book 4 Dead to the World.

**PS If anyone remembers the exact wording (or pretty close) of the curse put of on Eric in book four, please include it in a review. I cannot find it!**


End file.
